Chapter One Introduction 1
1.1 Research Background 1
1.2 Purpose of the Study 3
1.3 Theoretical Framework 4
1.4 Experimental Apparatus 7
1.5 Significance of the Study 8
1.6 Arrangement of the Dissertation 8
Chapter Two Mandarin Sound System 11
2.1 Sounds in Mandarin 11
2.1.1 Consonants 11
2.1.2 Glides 14
2.1.3 Vowels 14
2.1.4 Tones 18
2.2 An Overview of Mandarin Syllables 18
2.2.1 Normal Syllables 19
2.2.2 Reduced Syllables 21
2.2.3 Retroflexed Syllables 25
2.2.4 Reduced-Retroflexed Syllables 27
2.3 Syllable:The Basic Unit of Gestural Organization 27
2.3.1 A Basic Unit in Phonotactics 27
2.3.2 A Basic Unit in Phonological Process 28
2.3.3 A Basic Unit in Acoustics and Perception 31
2.3.4 The Basic Unit in Articulation 31
2.3.5 Summary 32
2.4 Previous Studies on the Timing Structure of Mandarin Syllables 32
2.4.1 Ren's Truncation Model 32
2.4.2 Xu and Liu's Model 33
2.4.3 Gao's Articulatory Study on Mandarin Syllable Structure 34
2.4.4 The Onset of the Retroflex Gesture 35
2.5 Summary 36
Chapter Three Methodology 37
3.1 Participants 37
3.2 Speech Material 38
3.3 Recording Procedure 41
3.4 Processing the Data 45
3.5 Summary 49
Chapter Four Intergestural Timing 50
4.1 Timing Relation between C and V Gestures 50
4.1.1 Gao's Articulation Research on the CV Lag in Mandarin 50
4.1.2 Speech Material 52
4.1.3 Results 58
4.1.4 Summary 73
4.2 Timing Relation between C and G Gestures 74
4.2.1 Material 74
4.2.2 Results 76
4.2.3 Summary 89
4.3 Timing Relation between G and V Gestures 90
4.4 Timing Relation between V and E Gestures 93
4.4.1 Material 94
4.4.2 Results 95
4.4.3 Summary 103
4.5 Timing Relation between V and N Gestures 104
4.5.1 Material 104
4.5.2 Results 106
4.5.3 Summary 109
4.6 Timing Relation between C and R Gestures 109
4.6.1 Material 110
4.6.2 Results 111
4.6.3 Summary 121
4.7 Summary 122
Chapter Five Syllable Structure:An Integrated Model 125
5.1 The Model 125
5.2 Discussion 130
5.2.1 Co-Onset of Initial C and V 130
5.2.2 Co-Onset of G,V and E 131
5.2.3 Co-Onset of C and G 132
5.2.4 Co-Onset of Final N and Other Gestures 133
5.2.5 Co-Onset of C and R 137
5.3 Reduced Syllables 138
5.4 A Possible Explanation for the Mid and Low Vowel Variation 139
5.5 Universality of the Model 142
5.6 Human Interlimb Coordination and the Present Model 142
5.7 Coarticulation Theories and the Present Model 143
5.8 Summary 147
Chapter Six Conclusion 149
Appendix A Raw Data of Onset Lags between Gestures 152
A.1 Onset Lags between C and V Gestures 152
A.2 Onset Lags between C and G Gestures 159
A.3 Onset Lags between G and V Gestures 164
A.4 Onset Lags between V and E Gestures 164
A.5 Onset Lags between V and N Gestures 168
A.6 Onset Lags between C and R Gestures 169
Appendix B Praat Scripts Composed for the Present Study 174
B.1 The Script for Acoustical Annotation 174
B.2 The Script for Articulatory Annotation 177
Appendix C The Script for Extracting Articulatory Data 204
References 210