再探討香港粵語聲母/n-/、/l-/不分

學界基本認為香港粵語聲母 /n-/ 和 /l-/ 已經混同，在非正式場合發音人毫無例外把 /n-/ 讀為 /l-/。然而，本文經初步調查發現，/n-/ 和 /l-/ 在發音上正朝自由變體發展。感知實驗（最小對立對聽辨測試和 /n-/、/l-/ 互換接受測試）數據則表明：大部分香港粵語母語者能夠分辨聲母 /n-/ 和 /l-/，且不接受 /n-/ 和 /l-/ 互換、尤不接受 /l-/ 聲母字讀為 /n-/ 聲母。同時，正音訓練對於分辨 /n-/ 和 /l-/、以及是否接受 /n-/ 和 /l-/ 互換沒有明顯作用。因此本文提出，還不能斷言香港粵語聲母 /n-/ 和 /l-/ 已經混同。
It is commonly believed that the initials /n-/ and /l-/ in Hong Kong Cantonese (HKC) have merged that speakers would substitute /n-/ with /l-/ without exception in informal occasions. Nevertheless, after a pilot survey, it is found that /n-/ and /l-/ are developing into free variations in speakers’ production. Results from perception experiments (discriminating test of minimal pairs and acceptability test on the interchangeability of /n-/ and /l-/) show that most native HKC speakers can discriminate /n-/ and /l-/, and do not accept the exchange of the two initials, especially when replacing /l-/ with /n-/. Moreover, proper pronunciation training has no obvious impact on whether the speakers could discriminate the two initials, and whether they accept the interchangeability of them. Therefore, this study proposes that the assertion that /n-/ and /l-/ in HKC have merged needs further investigation. Copyright © 2018 吳多泰中國語文研究中心.