86 Rebecca Roeder
[k, g, ƾ], and these are the only consonants of English that are classi¿ ed with
the feature [+high] by Stevens (1998: 254). In addition, the CV and VC transi-
tions are slower for velars than for labials or alveolars (365). It follows, there-
fore, that the velar environment may lead to undershoot in the articulation of
a vowel, resulting in a lower F1, especially for non-high vowels.
Although apicals are not classi¿ ed as [+high] by Stevens, the tongue tip is
in a high position for the articulation of the consonant, and this is correlated
with a raising and fronting effect on the transition into following front vowels.
However, the transition out of this constricted position should occur more
quickly than it does with velars (Stevens 1998: 354). Despite the rapid transi-
tion time, depending on the duration of the vowel and the place of articulation
of the following consonant, the vowel trajectory may never reach the target
position. Especially with a non-high vowel such as /æ/ is in these speakers,
undershoot may cause lower F1.
The only preceding environment that had a conditioning effect on F2 in
the present study was preceding liquids. When tested against other preceding
manners, it was signi¿ cantly correlated with backing in ¿ ve speakers, par-
ticularly in comparison to preceding voiced stops, which have already been
shown to promote raising. Three of the ¿ ve speakers who showed this effect
are from Group A.
When liquids were separated from other apicals and tested against place
features for following consonant, they were found to correlate with a backed
/æ/ in ten speakers, six of whom are in Group A. This was the most wide-
spread ¿ nding in this study, but is probably due to the fact that four of the
seven words used end with a velar consonant, which further promotes back-
ing and therefore exaggerated the results for liquids. Since this result appears
in both Group A and other speakers and has articulatory motivation, it again
suggests a universal, default tendency.
- Conclusion
In summary, results for the conditioning effects of following consonant manner
and voice are the most striking and suggest that dramatic raising of /æ/ in front
of nasals is a marker of accommodation to the NCS among Mexican American
speakers of English in Lansing. The results for preceding environment pro-
vide clear evidence in support of previous conclusions about the conditioning
effects on /æ/ of several speci¿ c consonantal environments.^7 Overall ¿ ndings
show that preceding voiced stops, velars, and apicals promote raising of /æ/.
Preceding liquids are signi¿ cantly correlated with a low F2, or backed /æ/. All