Stop voicing in Drehu: Effects of place of articulation, speaker sex, and language attitudes

This study investigates a potential ongoing sound change in the language Drehu, spoken by a small community in the South Pacific. We focus on the voiceless and voiced stop series in the language. Data from teenage female and male speakers was analysed in relation to voice onset time (VOT), percent voicing, and self reported language proficiency and attitudes. We find that the velar stops show substantial aspiration and de-voicing, led by female speakers. The voiceless velar stop shows the greatest VOT duration whereas voiced velars display the greatest devoicing. Interestingly, female and male speakers’ increased use of VOT and devoicing are differently correlated to their language attitudes. This shows that in this small and rural community, the same features may have different socio-linguistic associations.