<研究論文>UB モンゴル語の i と e の合流

Abstract

Some previous studies have shown that short /i/ and /e/ have merged to /i/ [i] in Ulaan Baatar Khalkha Mongolian (UB Mongolian), though these are still distinguished in writing. However, it is questionable whether all speakers of this language pronounce the vowel written with the Cyrillic letter <e> as not [e] but [i]. In this study, I analyze the pronunciation of words such as ix 'big' and ex 'mother', which form minimal pairs from an orthographical point of view and which should have become homophonous according to previous studies. This survey reveals that i and e are clearly distinguished by some speakers. This fact is supported by an analysis of formant frequencies. In addition, while it is true that some speakers tend to pronounce <e> as [i], such speakers do not pronounce all <e> as [i], especially in loanwords. This finding suggests that /e/ [e] is still present in UB Mongolian. I conclude that /i/ and /e/ have not completely merged yet and that there is still a distinction between /i/ and /e/, though this distinction may be supported by orthography.