LOCUS EQUATIONS AS PHONETIC DESCRIPTORS OF CONSONANTAL PLACE OF ARTICULATION

This experiment tested whether locus equation coefficients, slope, and y-intercept could serve as indices of place of articulation for obstr uents sharing the same place of articulation across different manner c lasses. Locus equations for 22 speakers were derived from CV/t/ words with initial voiced stop /d/, voiceless aspirated stop /t/, nasal /n/, voiced fricative /z/, and voiceless fricative /s/preceding 10 vowel c ontexts. Post hoc tests revealed /d/ = /z/ = /n/ for slope means. Voic ed ldi and voiceless /t/ were also equivalent when F2 transition onset measurement points were equated. Scatterplots of locus equation coeff icients revealed three nonoverlapping and distinct clusters when the d iverse coronal group was compared with labials and velars. A discrimin ant analysis using slope and y-intercept as predictors successfully ca tegorized all five coronals into one alveolar group with 87.1% accurac y. The collective results support the contention that locus equations can serve as effective phonetic descriptors of consonant place of arti culation across manner classes.