NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, language, phonology, phonetics

Objective(s): To provide evidence for "metrical structure". That is, the idea that syllables in the language are organized into small groups called "feet", specifically what are called "iambic feet", which have the form (weak-strong)(weak-strong). Feet seem to play a major role in how syllables squish together. In his study the researcher seeks to corroborate this evidence from phonological patterning with evidence from direct phonetic measurements.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4602. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide evidence for "metrical structure". That is, the idea that syllables in the language are organized into small groups called "feet", specifically what are called "iambic feet", which have the form (weak-strong)(weak-strong). There is evidence from looking at verb paradigms, and the phonological patterns we find there, that feet seem to play a major role in how syllables "squish" together. In this study the researcher seeks to corroborate this evidence from phonological patterning with evidence from direct phonetic measurements. Work with elders will be conducted at the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Land & Environment Office in Ndilo?, as well as, time permitting, the Adult Learning Centre in Lu´tsëlk'e´, Northwest Territories. Participants will be recruited by word-of-mouth by Land & Environment Office staff (in Ndilo?) or by the Community Language Coordinator (in Lu´tsëlk'e´). Participants will be selected based on their fluency in the Dëne Su?line´/Tetso?´t'ine´ language. The participants (elders) will be shown a powerpoint presentation on a computer screen, with words and pictures. The researcher will first read each sentence out loud to them, and they will be asked to repeat the sentence twice, and then to repeat the verb (highlighted in bold) three times. The participants will be recorded using a Marantz PMD 671 Compact Flash recorder, and cardioid condenser microphones. Of the researchers listed, only the Principal Investigator (PI) will be directly involved in interviewing elders and performing the experiment; the team members will participate in the data analysis portion. Communicating the results of research is an ongoing process. On this trip, the PI will give a powerpoint presentation in both Ndilo? and Lu´tsëlk'e´ entitled "How Many Vowels Are There?", about his previous work on vowels. This should be of interest to language workers in the community interested in Dene literacy and language teaching. As for the results of this current project, the PI will send a draft paper and summary of the major findings to his community contacts in Ndilo? and Lu´tsëlk'e´ as soon as results are available, and will also present the results on future trips to the communities either as a free-standing presentation or as part of a Dene literacy or linguistics class. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from February 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020.