Date of Award
1-1-2024
Thesis Type
masters
Document Type
Thesis (Restricted Access)
Divisions
language
Department
Department of English Language
Institution
Universiti Malaya
Abstract
The Malay language has rich phonological variation based on geographic and social context. Previous research has identified /r/ as the consonant phoneme with greatest variation. This study aimed to combine perceptual and acoustic analysis to more accurately quantify the variants of /r/ used in the Klang Valley and to correlate the usage of these variants with social variables. Data collected consisted of speech recordings of two styles of speech and information about the speakers’ age, gender, educational and language background. Findings suggest that the variants of /r/ correlate with phonetic environment, age, gender, and language background. The study identified four rhotic variants including the tap [ɾ], trill [r], approximant [ɹ], and a zero-realization. The appearance of the approximant [ɹ], not previously documented in Peninsular Malay, possibly indicates a linguistic change in progress. The study was limited by the size of the sample and relative homogeneity of the speakers’ backgrounds.
Note
Dissertation (M.A.) – Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, 2024.
Recommended Citation
Katherine, Schmittauer, "A study of the variants of /r/ in Klang Valley Malay / Katherine Schmittauer" (2024). Student Works (2020-2029). 1594.
https://knova.um.edu.my/student_works_2020s/1594