Abstract:
This study investigated the fricatives of Asante, Bono and Denkyira with the aim of
establishing the acoustic properties of the fricatives. Three fricatives [f], [s] and [ç] of
Asante, Bono and Denkyira were examined in [a, ɛ, ɪ] vowel contexts. Fifteen (15)
male and fifteen (15) female speakers between the ages of 20-35 years were
recruited for the study. All the fricative consonants were within the scope of
prevocalic and intervocalic using CV and CVC syllables respectively. Three
parameters were used: Spectral peak location, duration and F2 transition. Various
statistical analyses were also carried out to determine the differences and similarities
that existed among the fricatives as well as the dialects. The results indicated that the
spectral peak location and F2 transition were able to differentiate all the fricatives at
their various places of articulation. [f] had the highest spectral peak location
frequency, followed by [s] and [ç] respectively. For F2 transition, [f] had the lowest
F2 value, followed by [s] and [ç] respectively. Also, the duration of [f] was
significantly different from both [s] and [ç] but [s] and [ç] were not significantly
different. Duration was not robust in differentiating the fricatives. However, the
duration of [f] was significantly different from both [s] and [ç] but [s] and [ç] were not
significantly different. The study also discovered that, whenever [s] and [ҫ] occurred
at word-initial position, the Asante speakers produced them with shorter durations
than Bono and Denkyira speakers. Again, it was discovered that only the duration of
[ç] at word initial position differs in term of gender. Another finding of the study is
that males and females differ significantly in the production of the fricatives with
females having higher spectral peak location frequency values than their male
counterparts.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, FACULTY
OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION
SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF
EDUCATION, WINNEBA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY
(APPLIED LINGUISTICS) DEGREE.
DECEMBER, 2015