A more comprehensive view on the production-perception link of cue weighting in sound change

The case of vowel length contrast in Long’an Zhuang

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive view on the production-perception link of cue weighting in sound change by further examining the relationship between the weights of different cues in production and perception, as well as comparing two ways of cue weight calculation (raw vs. relativized). Production and perception experiments were conducted on Long’an Zhuang (a Tai language in Guangxi, China) vowel length contrast, which involves both duration and spectral cues. The results showed a negative correlation between duration and formant cue weights in production but a positive correlation in perception. Additionally, the production-perception link was found to be more robust regarding relative cue weights rather than raw weights. These findings suggest that sound change may be related to asymmetry in production and perception, weakening the production-perception link in absolute cue contribution but not in relative dominance.