초록 열기/닫기 버튼
The relationship between frequency and sound change has been a source for debate in the literature. This study focuses on two kinds of opposing sound changes, strengthening and weakening sound changes, so as to better understand the role of frequency in sound change. Strengthening and weakening sound changes are respectively exemplified by diphthongization and palatalization in Mandarin here. The statistical analysis results for this study show that frequency is positively associated with both sound change processes, while the frequency change factor is positively related with diphthongization and negatively associated with palatalization. The claim in previous studies that it is either high frequency or low frequency words that lead sound change has been rejected by this study. The frequency change factor, which almost no work has investigated, shows different mechanisms in different kinds of sound change.
