Quantification of Tenseness in English and Japanese Tense-Lax Vowels: A Lagrangian Model with Indicator θ1 and Force of Tenseness Ftense(t)

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Main Author: Ishizaki, Tatsuya
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ishizaki, Tatsuya
author_facet Ishizaki, Tatsuya
contents The concept of vowel tenseness has traditionally been examined through the binary distinction of tense and lax vowels. However, no universally accepted quantitative definition of tenseness has been established in any language. Previous studies, including those by Jakobson, Fant, and Halle (1951) and Chomsky and Halle (1968), have explored the relationship between vowel tenseness and the vocal tract. Building on these foundations, Ishizaki (2019, 2022) proposed an indirect quantification of vowel tenseness using formant angles θ1 and θF1 and their first and second derivatives, dZ1(t)/dt = lim tan θ1(t) and d2Z1(t)/dt2 = d/dt lim tan θ1(t). This study extends this approach by investigating the potential role of a force-related parameter in determining vowel quality. Specifically, we introduce a simplified model based on the Lagrangian equation to describe the dynamic interaction of the tongue and jaw within the oral cavity during the articulation of close vowels. This model provides a theoretical framework for estimating the forces involved in vowel production across different languages, offering new insights into the physical mechanisms underlying vowel articulation. The findings suggest that this force-based perspective warrants further exploration as a key factor in phonetic and phonological studies.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_03681
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantification of Tenseness in English and Japanese Tense-Lax Vowels: A Lagrangian Model with Indicator θ1 and Force of Tenseness Ftense(t)
Ishizaki, Tatsuya
Computation and Language
Sound
Audio and Speech Processing
The concept of vowel tenseness has traditionally been examined through the binary distinction of tense and lax vowels. However, no universally accepted quantitative definition of tenseness has been established in any language. Previous studies, including those by Jakobson, Fant, and Halle (1951) and Chomsky and Halle (1968), have explored the relationship between vowel tenseness and the vocal tract. Building on these foundations, Ishizaki (2019, 2022) proposed an indirect quantification of vowel tenseness using formant angles θ1 and θF1 and their first and second derivatives, dZ1(t)/dt = lim tan θ1(t) and d2Z1(t)/dt2 = d/dt lim tan θ1(t). This study extends this approach by investigating the potential role of a force-related parameter in determining vowel quality. Specifically, we introduce a simplified model based on the Lagrangian equation to describe the dynamic interaction of the tongue and jaw within the oral cavity during the articulation of close vowels. This model provides a theoretical framework for estimating the forces involved in vowel production across different languages, offering new insights into the physical mechanisms underlying vowel articulation. The findings suggest that this force-based perspective warrants further exploration as a key factor in phonetic and phonological studies.
title Quantification of Tenseness in English and Japanese Tense-Lax Vowels: A Lagrangian Model with Indicator θ1 and Force of Tenseness Ftense(t)
topic Computation and Language
Sound
Audio and Speech Processing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.03681