Domain-initial effects on C-to-V and V-to-V coarticulation in French: A corpus-based study

This corpus-based study investigates whether and how coarticulation is modulated domain-initially in French. Post-boundary IP-initial sequences were compared to the same sequence word-medial position according composition structural link between elements of that sequence. We examined 4 cases coarticulation: C-to-V within syllable #CV #VC. sequences, across syllables #V.C anticipatory V2-to-V1 #V1.C(C)V2 sequences. Coarticulation was determined by amount spectral change formant vowel /a/ its context: an alveolar vs. uvular C context for coarticulation, a high low V V-to-V coarticulation. The analysis 15,000 tokens revealed can be prosody but this effect appeared depend on relationships (the relation sounds relative each other structure) A reduction only found two (VC V.C sequences). Interestingly, larger heterosyllabic These results are discussed terms difference coupling proximity boundary. They suggest relations constrain prosodically-induced variation.