Lexical diffusion of vowel length merger in Seoul Korean: a corpus-based study

초록

Lexical diffusion of vowel length merger in Seoul Korean: a corpus-based study Introduction: In Seoul Korean, long and short vowels contrast in word-initial position (nun ‘eye’ vs. nu:n ‘snow’) but recent studies report loss of length distinction in younger speakers’ speech (e.g., Kim 2003, Park 1985, Zhi 1993). The change, however, does not affect all words equally; some words are more resistant to shortening than others. The current study examines the pattern of lexical diffusion, specifically the effect of frequency and phonological contexts on the diffusion of vowel shortening. The results show that while vowels tend to be shorter in high frequency words overall, the sound change proper—i.e., the reduction of contrast over time—is more advanced in low frequency words.