Malayalam prominence and vowel duration : listener acceptability

In Malayalam, a Dravidian languages spoken in India, there is a contrast in vowel length, as in [ka[retroflex lateral approximant]i] 'game' and [ka:[retroflex lateral approximant]i] 'goddess of death'. This vowel length contrast is the basis for any theory of stress placement in Malayalam. A listener acceptability study was performed to determine how acceptable vowel duration variation was to native speakers. It was found that listeners prefer a long vowel to have a longer duration than a short vowel. It was also found that listeners only accepted short vowel reduction and/or deletion when it was next to a vowel of contrasting length. Implications of these findings are discussed. A listener acceptability study was performed to determine how acceptable vowel duration variation was to native speakers. It was found that listeners prefer a long vowel to have a longer duration than a short vowel. It was also found that listeners only accepted short vowel reduction and/or deletion when it was next to a vowel of contrasting length. Implications of these findings are discussed.