The Application of SSANOVA Modeling in the Analysis of Formant Dynamics of Glide-vowel Sequences in Southern Fujian Hakka

The present study adopts SSANOVA modeling to examine the age and regional differences in formant dynamics of two glide-vowel sequences (/wi/ and /wa/) in Meilin and Guanbei Hakka. The basic parameters of the statistical analysis like mean values, standard deviation, standard error, Euclidean distance were used. The Praat, a software program in speech analysis, was used for data labeling and tracking. The R, a software program in statistical computing and graphics, was used for drawing formant trajectories and bar plots. Based on SSANOVA plot of formant trajectories, formant trajectory length, and spectral rate of change, results reveal significant age differences in formants of the two glide-vowel sequences in Meilin Hakka, however, no significant age differences in formants have been found in Guanbei Hakka. This study provides the evidence that the glide of /wi/ and /wa/ of old speakers in Meilin Hakka is actually a labio-dental approximant, which has a feature of secondary articulation of the initial, whereas the glide of young speakers is a rounded element belonging to the final. Our results suggest that the delabialization of /w/ to /u/ in Meilin Hakka is a sound change in progress.