ABSTRACT
This dissertation has broadly outlined several phonotactic constraints in the Khoisan language Ju∣'hoansi and shown how the phonetic bases of these constraints can be captured in terms of acoustic modulation. I have also offered a detailed acoustic case study, investigating the spectral properties associated with guttural consonants and vowels in the language and shown how the Guttural OCP constraint can be explained in terms of these properties. That is, if two sounds that contain similar harmonics-to-noise ratios and similar or opposing spectral slope values were to co-occur in the same temporal position of the same root, spectral cues to one of the sounds would be lost. While perceptual studies are necessary to confirm the hypotheses, the acoustic properties themselves show that the probability of masking is very strong. While the spectral properties associated with consonants are often more transient and smaller, guttural consonant contrasts are also cued by the presence of stronger noise during the C-V transition, as well as larger fundamental frequency effects that are not found as sharply in guttural vowels. These additional cues in guttural consonants make it likely that it is the consonants that would be the sounds perceived if both sounds were to co-occur within the same root. Future research will provide more detailed acoustic studies of the interactions between fundamental frequency and guttural consonants and vowels, and the first formant frequency values associated with guttural consonants and vowels. It is expected that these acoustic studies will offer explanations for the co-occurrence restrictions found between tone and guttural consonants and vowels, vowel height and vowel frontness with guttural consonants and vowels.
