This paper investigates the effect of the Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP) on downstep in Japanese. The study examines the impact of sequences of adjectives with the same endings on downstep, hypothesizing that the OCP may inhibit downstep in such cases. A production experiment involving ten speakers reveals the presence of downstep in all four phrase conditions. The results suggest that the effect of accentuation varies among phrase types, with the interaction not being significant in some cases. The study discusses how the OCP might explain the smallest degree of pitch lowering in specific phrase structures. The findings indicate that downstep occurs in all tested phrase types, but the significance of the degree of downstep may vary depending on the inclusion of certain factors in the statistical model. Additional research with a larger dataset is recommended for conclusive results.
Cite as: Hirayama, M., Hwang, H.K., Kato, T. (2023) OCP and downstep in Japanese. Proc. The Second International Conference on Tone and Intonation, 6-9, doi: 10.21437/TAI.2023-2
@inproceedings{hirayama23_tai,
author={Manami Hirayama and Hyun Kyung Hwang and Takaomi Kato},
title={{OCP and downstep in Japanese}},
year=2023,
booktitle={Proc. The Second International Conference on Tone and Intonation},
pages={6--9},
doi={10.21437/TAI.2023-2}
}