Kankanaey over time: A dyadic comparison of 1996 and 2023 translations
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Abstract
Despite existing studies on Kankanaey phonology, there is limited research on how its lexicon has evolved, particularly in relation to phonological changes over time, dialectal influences, and orthographic conventions. This study, therefore, compares Kankanaey lexical items from 1966 and 2023 to identify patterns of phonological consistency and variation. A lexical dataset from both years was analyzed, focusing on phonological shifts such as vowel raising, assimilation, and gemination, with particular attention to changes in spelling and their correlation with dialectal variation and orthographic conventions. The findings showed that 172 lexical items maintained consistent spellings, while others displayed phonological variations, including consonant substitutions, vowel shifts, and assimilation, reflecting natural phonological processes and regional dialect differences. The results indicate that phonological variation in Kankanaey is mainly influenced by natural sound changes and dialectal differences, rather than by standardized orthographic reforms. Future studies should include a broader demographic sample and explore how these phonological shifts impact language use across generations.
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