This study presents articulometry and palatography data for Arrernte, a language of Central Australia. It examines the contrast between the apical consonants – alveolar versus retroflex – according to lexical stress. Stop, nasal and lateral consonants are treated separately. Results show that the most prototypical retroflex articulation – where the tongue tip is retracted for post-alveolar closure and eventually released at a more anterior location – occurs after a stressed vowel. By contrast, a prototypical alveolar articulation – with closure and release at the same (anterior) region along the palate – is more likely to occur before a stressed vowel. In addition, it is shown that the contrast between alveolars and retroflexes varies by manner of articulation, being clearest for the nasal manner. It is suggested that the low jaw position which is an inherent property of nasal articulations facilitates retraction of the tongue tip for retroflexion, and that nasalization of adjacent vowels may motivate an exaggeration of the alveolar-retroflex contrast. For laterals, however, the alveolar~retroflex contrast is not so clear, and it is suggested that the articulatory requirements for lateral airflow may compromise full retraction of the tongue tip. Typological implications of these results are discussed, as is the possibility that CV versus VC (i.e. alveolar versus retroflex) cues to place of articulation are best encoded within a stressed vowel.

这项研究提供了澳大利亚中部一种语言的Arrernte的关节造影和and描数据。它根据词法重音检查了顶点辅音–肺泡与逆反射之间的对比。停止，鼻和侧辅音分别处理。结果表明，最典型的后屈关节-舌尖缩回至肺泡后闭合，并最终在更靠前的位置释放-发生在元音受力后。相比之下，在上颚的相同（前部）区域发生闭合和释放的典型肺泡关节更容易在强调的元音。另外，还表明，肺泡和后屈之间的对比度随关节运动的方式而变化，对于鼻腔方式最为清晰。建议低下颌位置是鼻关节的固有特性，它有助于使舌尖缩回以进行后屈，而相邻元音的鼻腔化可能会导致肺泡-后屈对比的夸张。然而，对于外侧，肺泡-反射反射对比还不是很清楚，建议对侧面气流的咬合要求可能会损害舌尖的完全缩回。讨论了这些结果的类型学含义，以及在重读元音中最好编码CV对VC（即肺泡对逆向反射）线索以表达发音的可能性。