Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the same sociolinguistic feature can be used as a sociolinguistic resource with different indexical potentials in different linguistic as well as social contexts. In this paper we present the results of a perceptual study of indexical meanings of fronted and palatalized variants of /t/ in combination with fronted /s/ in different registers of Copenhagen Danish. The data consist of responses to male speakers’ use of the two variants of /t/ in two different registers that we label “modern Copenhagen speech” and “street language.” Results show that the palatalized /t/ affects the indexicality of fronted /s/ with respect to perceived femininity and gayness when it occurs in “modern Copenhagen,” where fronted /s/ has previously been shown to index these traits. However, the variation has a different and less significant effect when occurring in “street language.” Furthermore, the effect is only found in “modern Copenhagen” if the speaker has not previously been heard to produce a fronted /s/. We discuss the implications for theories of the relation between features and clusters of features in listeners’ perceptions.
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Appendix. Tables with standard deviations for the guises containing variants of both /s/ and /t/ in Experiment 2
Standard deviations for ratings on the scale feminine.
| Variants | Prosodic frame | |
|---|---|---|
| street | modern | |
| stj | 0.59 | 1.36 |
| sts | 0.70 | 1.40 |
| tjs | 0.71 | 0.85 |
| tss | 0.57 | 1.09 |
Standard deviations for ratings on the scale homosexual.
| Variant | Prosodic frame | |
|---|---|---|
| street | modern | |
| Stj | 0.52 | 1.24 |
| sts | 0.60 | 1.37 |
| tjs | 0.59 | 0.81 |
| tss | 0.48 | 1.01 |
Standard deviations for ratings on the scale immigrant (group 1).
| Variant | Prosodic frame | |
|---|---|---|
| street | modern | |
| stj | 0.43 | 1.55 |
| sts | 0.68 | 1.58 |
| tjs | 0.83 | 1.34 |
| tss | 0.67 | 1.40 |
Standard deviations for ratings on the scale immigrant (group 2).
| Variant | Prosodic frame | |
|---|---|---|
| street | modern | |
| stj | 0.76 | 1.31 |
| sts | 0.83 | 1.31 |
| tjs | 0.76 | 1.24 |
| tss | 0.69 | 0.94 |
Standard deviations for ratings on the scale gangster (group 1).
| Variant | Prosodic frame | |
|---|---|---|
| street | modern | |
| stj | 1.07 | 1.55 |
| sts | 1.26 | 1.44 |
| tjs | 1.32 | 1.41 |
| tss | 1.26 | 1.14 |
Standard deviations for ratings on the scale gangster (group 2).
| Variant | Prosodic frame | |
|---|---|---|
| street | modern | |
| stj | 1.27 | 1.43 |
| sts | 1.35 | 1.30 |
| tjs | 1.24 | 1.11 |
| tss | 1.25 | 1.01 |
© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
