제주어 /ㆍ/의 실현 양상: 50대 이상의 제주도민, 사회적 정보와 관련하여

Abstract

This study investigates the phonetic realization patterns of the distinctive vowel /ㆍ/ in modern Jejueo, focusing on variation across gender and speaker attitudes among speakers aged 50 and above. Using the speech experiment framework of Walker et al. (2018), it analyzes how positive, negative, and neutral fact-reading tasks influence the articulation of /ㆍ/. Findings show that older male speakers tend to produce /ㆍ/ as a lower vowel, maintaining strong phonemic contrast associated with conservative linguistic identity. In contrast, older female speakers exhibit less lowering in positive contexts, suggesting adaptive or standardized usage patterns. The realization patterns of /·/ may reflect speaker identity and attitude beyond phonetic variation. This study highlights the significance of Jejueo preservation and tentatively proposes that speaker attitudes and contextual factors may influence ongoing linguistic change.