Typological Characteristics of the Khanty Vocalism Based on Data of Kazym and Surgut Dialects

Abstract

The paper aims to compare and describe the system of the vowel phonemes in two Khanty dialects - Kazym dialect (the West-Khanty dialectal group) and Surgut dialect (the East-Khanty dialectal group) from the typological point. The statement is made that experimental phonetical data are necessary for typological generalizations in phonology. For the Surgut dialect, for which only subjective auditory descriptions have existed until recent times, experimental acoustical data based on new materials from field expeditions are presented. On the basis of the list including 130 lexemes read out by five informants, duration of the vowels, first and second formant frequencies are measured via Praat software. In the Surgut dialect 13 vowel phonemes are stated for the Trom-Agan idiom (/i:/, /i:/, /u:/, /e:/, /o:/, /ɔ:/, /a:/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /ɛ/, /ɔ/, /a/) and 12 phonemes for Yugan idiom (/i:/, /i:/, /u:/, /e:/, /o:/, /ɔ:/, /a:/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /ɛ/, /a/; at the place of the Trom-Agan /ɔ/ the Yugan /ɛ/ is being used). The new Surgut data are compared with the already published Kazym data. A typological generalization is made on the basis of the N. S. Trubetskoy’s ideas. The Khanty vocalism represents a mixed triangle-linear system. The first-syllable subsystem has a triangle typology with three timbre classes: front unrounded vowels; mid-row vowels with weak labialization; back rounded vowels. The subsystem has three degrees of height for the Kazym dialect and four degrees of height for the Surgut dialect. The not-first-syllable subsystem has a linear typology with one neutral class and opposition by height. The whole system has an opposition by two degrees of phonological length; the strength of this opposition can be rated as weak.