Athour Rohman et al: Phonetic Transcriptions of ...
PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTIONS OF DENTAL AND ALVEOLAR PLOSIVES USED IN MADURESE DICTIONARIES
(TRANSKRIPSI FONETIS BUNYI LETUP DENTAL DAN ALVEOLAR DALAM KAMUS BAHASA MADURA)
Athour Rohman Prodi Sastra Inggris, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura Jalan Raya Telang P.O. Box 2 Kamal, Bangkalan, Madura 69162 Pos-el: [email protected]
Misnadin Prodi Sastra Inggris, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura Jalan Raya Telang P.O. Box 2 Kamal, Bangkalan, Madura 69162 Pos-el: [email protected]
Abstrak Bunyi plosif dental dan alveolar umumnya dianggap bunyi yang sama. Jarang ada bahasa yang memiliki keduanya. Faktanya, Asosiasi Fonetik Internasional (IPA) tidak memiliki simbol yang berbeda untuk bunyi plosif dental dan alveolar. Akibatnya, para peneliti menggunakan simbol IPA yang berbeda untuk mentranskripsikan plosif dental dan alveolar bahasa Madura (BM). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji bagaimana plosif dental dan alveolar ditranskripsikan dalam kamus BM dengan membahas tiga pertanyaan, yaitu simbol IPA yang digunakan penulis kamus untuk menstranskripsikannya; alasan penggunaan simbol itu; dan kesesuaian simbol dengan transkripsinya dalam BM dengan menerapkan metode kualitatif deskriptif. Analisis konten digunakan untuk menjawab pertanyaan pertama. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan kedua, wawancara dengan penulis kamus. Tes membaca transkripsi fonetik terhadap 10 mahasiswa Sastra Inggris bidang Linguistik dilakukan untuk menjawab pertanyaan ketiga. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa plosif dental dan alveolar ditranskripsikan menggunakan simbol IPA yang berbeda dalam dua kamus BM. Kurangnya simbol tersendiri untuk plosif dental dalam bagan IPA dan niat penulis kamus untuk membedakan plosif dental dengan alveolar menjadi alasan utama bunyi-bunyi tersebut ditranskripsikan dengan simbol [t d dh] dan[ʈ ɖ ɖh] secara berurutan dalam kamus A. Kemiripan dan kebertukaran bunyi plosif dental dan alveolar dalam BM merupakan alasan utama bunyi tersebut ditranskripsikan dengan simbol yang sama [t d dh] dalam kamus B. Kesalahan pelafalan plosif dental dan alveolar pembaca juga ditemukan di kedua kamus. Kata kunci: bunyi letup dental dan alveolar, simbol IPA, transkripsi fonetik, kamus, Bahasa Madura
Abstract Dental and alveolar plosives are commonly treated as similar sounds and it is rare for a language to have both. In fact, the International Phonetic Association (IPA) does not provide different symbols for dental and alveolar plosives. Consequently, researchers variously used different IPA symbols to represent dental and alveolar plosives in Madurese. The goal of this study was to investigate how dental and alveolar plosives were transcribed in Madurese dictionaries, addressing three questions regarding the IPA symbols used by lexicographers to represent the sounds, the reasons they used the symbols, and the appropriateness of the symbols to represent the sounds in
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Madurese words. This paper applied descriptive qualitative method. Content analysis was used to answer the first question. To answer the second question, interviews with the lexicographers were conducted to get their response and explanation about the symbol which they used. Phonetic transcription reading-tests to 10 English Department students who majored in Linguistics were done to answer the third question. The results showed that dental and alveolar plosives were phonetically transcribed using different IPA symbols in Madurese dictionaries. The lack of the separate symbols for dental plosives in the IPA chart and the lexicographer’s intention to distinguish dental from alveolar plosives were the primary reasons why they were transcribed using the symbols [t d dh] and [ʈ ɖ ɖh], respectively in Dictionary A. The similarity and the interchangeability of dental and alveolar plosives in Madurese were the primary reasons why they were transcribed by the same symbols [t d dh] in Dictionary B. Readers’ mispronunciations of dental and alveolar plosives were also found on both dictionaries. Keywords: dental and alveolar plosives, IPA symbols, phonetic transcription, dictionaries, Madurese
1. Introduction (IPA). The IPA symbols are set of language- Dictionary is one possible solution for independent characters used to represent speech language users to enrich their vocabulary. sounds of all languages. Dictionary is not only useful for a second/foreign The IPA symbols are also used by Madurese language learner but also useful for a native lexicographers in transcribing Madurese words in speaker. “Dictionary is the best primary source the form of phonetic (not phonemic) transcriptions that can provide maximum useful information in a number of Madurese dictionaries. However, about words from spelling to pronunciation to unlike any other languages, Madurese has a meaning and use” (Douidi, 2016, p. 5). A good number of unique phonological features. Madurese dictionary will at least provide three kinds of becomes a language among the millions which information relating to the vocabulary of a exhibits two consonantal sounds which acoustically language; those are syntactic information (the almost appear similar and often conflated, namely parts of speech), semantic information (the dental and alveolar plosive sounds. meaning), and phonological information (the According to Ladefoged and Maddieson pronunciation) of words. (1996), the difference between the acoustic Apart from the syntactic and semantic properties of dental and alveolar plosives only information, the phonological information of relies on their second formant transitions; the a word in dictionary is the most important and locus of the second formant is lower for dental most crucial one. It is because language users stop. While the frequencies of the third and fourth will not be able to use the language verbally formants of the two sounds are very identical. by knowing only the parts of speech and the Meanwhile Jongman, Blumstein, and Lahiri meaning of the word without knowing how to (1984) suggest that dental plosive productions pronounce it. Hence, the information of how a have bursts (of sound after the release of the word should be pronounced in a language need oral closure) which are smaller in amplitude to be transcribed accurately. than alveolar productions. The same observation The pronunciation of a word in a language was also done by O’Grady and Bekker (2011). is represented by the phonetic transcription. The After conducting an acoustical analysis on the term ‘phonetic transcription’ refers to the process three series of coronal stop (dental, alveolar, of writing down spoken language in phonetic and post alveolar) of Tiwi (Australian aboriginal symbols as well as to the resultant written text language), Anderson and Maddieson (1994) (Skandera & Burleigh, 2005). The most common found that “the alveolar phoneme appears as the symbols used by lexicographers to represent least distinctive, as it often grouped with one or the pronunciation of a word in dictionaries are more of the other categories” (p. 158). Anderson the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols and Maddieson (1994) also claimed that dental 196 Athour Rohman et al: Phonetic Transcriptions of ... can only be distinguished from alveolar by a some variations in transcribing the dental and lower amplitude burst. alveolar plosives in Madurese. Some linguists Dental and alveolar plosives are very whose works deal with Madurese phonology identical and it is very rare for a single language use a variety of symbols in transcribing the two to have both types of the sounds. There are sounds. For example, Kiliaan (1897) as cited very few languages which have phonologically in Cohn (1993) uses [t̪ d̪ t̪ h] for dental plosives contrastive pairs at the alveolar and dental and [ṭ ḍ ṭh] for retroflex plosives and implicitly places; they will have one or the other (Henton, claims that Madurese does not have alveolar Ladefoged, & Maddieson, 1992). However, plosives; Stevens (1994) uses [t d th] for dental both alveolar and dental plosives are found in plosives and [ṭ ḍ ṭh] for alveolar plosives and Madurese. The following are the examples of implicitly claims that Madurese does not have dental and alveolar plosive sounds in Madurese retroflex plosives; Cohn and Ham (1998) use [t̪ words: voiceless unaspirated dental plosive / d̪ t̪ h] for dental plosives and [ʈ ɖ ʈh] for retroflex t̪/ in bhântèng [phɤnt̪ɛŋ] ‘throwing down’ vs. and alveolar plosives; Nothofer (2006) uses [t d voiceless unaspirated alveolar plosive /t/ in dh] for dental plosives and [t̻ d̻ d̻ h] for retroflex bhânṭèng [phɤntɛŋ] ‘bull’, voiceless aspirated plosives and implicitly claims that Madurese dental plosive /t̪ h/ in ghândhing [khɤnt̪hiŋ] does not have alveolar plosives; Sofyan (2007, ‘fisherman’s food box’ vs. voiceless aspirated 2010) uses [t d dh] for dental plosives and [T D alveolar plosive /th/ in ghânḍhing [khɤnthiŋ] Dh] for alveolar plosives and implicitly claims ‘compare’, voiced unaspirated dental plosive /d̪ / that Madurese does not have retroflex plosives; in ghundil [ɡhund̪ il] ‘fish’s caudal fin’ vs. voiced Davies (2010) uses [t d th] for dental and alveolar unaspirated alveolar plosive /d/ in ghundil plosives and [ṭ ḍ ṭh] for retroflex plosives; and [ɡhundil] ‘bald’. Misnadin (2016) and uses [t d th] for dental and When a language possesses dental and alveolar plosives and [ʈ ɖ ʈh] for retroflex plosives alveolar plosives in its coronal stop series, there of Madurese (see Misnadin and Kirby, 2020). are three basic possibilities and one additional Scholars have addressed a number of issues possibility which can be found: contrastive in on Madurese plosives, but phonetic transcriptions both dental and alveolar places, contrastive of the Madurese coronal stops in particular have only for dental place, or contrastive only for not been dealt with adequately. The lack of the alveolar place and another possibility is studies concerning the phonetic transcriptions of that both dental and alveolar places are used the coronal plosives may result in their various but not contrastively (Donohue, 2009). The last phonetic transcriptions in a number of Madurese possibility is very rare, only 1% of the world dictionaries. Therefore, one of the goals of this languages show this pattern—one of these study is to address this issue. is Sundanese, a close neighbor of Madurese Considering the existence of dental and (Donohue, 2009). In the case of Madurese, alveolar plosives in Madurese and the fact that alveolar and dental plosives are two contrastive the absence of separate symbols for dental sounds even though the number of the minimal plosives in the IPA chart has led to variations in pairs between the two sounds in Madurese is just transcribing dental and alveolar plosive sounds a few. of Madurese, this present study attempts to Since dental and alveolar plosive sounds investigate how dental and alveolar plosives are treated as similar sounds acoustically and it are phonetically transcribed in Madurese is very rare for a single language to have both dictionaries, addressing three related research sounds, the International Phonetic Association questions: does not provide us with different symbols 1) What IPA symbols are used by Madurese lexi- for each of the sounds. In the latest version of cographers to represent dental and alveolar IPA chart (2015), The International Phonetic plosives in Madurese dictionaries? Association only provides the symbol for alveolar plosives but not the dental plosives. 2) Why are the symbols used to represent dental The absence of the separate symbols for and alveolar plosives in Madurese dictionar- dental plosives in the IPA chart has generated ies? 197 Metalingua, Vol. 18 No. 2, Desember 2020: 195—206
3) How well do the symbols represent dental and dictionaries. Before the tests were undertaken, alveolar plosives of Madurese words in Madu- the phonetic information and the rules of the two rese dictionaries? Madurese dictionaries were briefly explained to the participants, for example, [ɖ] is voiced 2. Method alveolar plosive (articulated by tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge) in Dictionary A. The This study was conducted by using qualitative pronunciation of the participants while reading descriptive design. The Madurese dictionaries those phonetic transcriptions were recorded, called Kamus Standar Bahasa Madura- transcribed and explained. The appropriateness Indonesia written by Pawitra (2009) and of the IPA symbols of dental and alveolar plosives Kamus Madura-Indonesia Kontemporer (Edisi in the two Madurese dictionaries are considered Keenam) written by Mohtar (2016) were chosen acceptable for the percentage of the correct as the primary sources of the data. The data pronunciation produced by the participants used in this study were sets of orthographic and during the tests. The assumption is that the higher phonetic transcriptions of the Madurese words the percentage of the correct pronunciation is containing dental and alveolar plosives in the produced by the participants during the tests, the two dictionaries. more appropriate the symbols is in representing To the authors’ knowledge, by the time of the sounds. the manuscript of this study was completed, the selected Madurese dictionaries are still considered as the only Madurese dictionaries 3. Findings and discussion which use the IPA symbols to provide 3.1 The IPA symbols of dental and phonological information of Madurese words in alveolar plosives in Madurese a form of phonetic (not phonemic) transcriptions. The data in this study were collected using dictionaries content analysis. One hundred words consisting The findings suggest that the IPA symbols of 50 words with dental plosives and 50 words for dental and alveolar plosives in the two selected with alveolar plosives from the two dictionaries Madurese dictionaries were different from one were selected. The orthographic and phonetic another. In other words, dental and alveolar transcriptions of these words were recorded. All plosives in both dictionaries have different the dental and alveolar plosive sounds and their phonetic transcriptions. It is found that in the IPA symbols in the phonetic transcriptions of Madurese dictionary by Pawitra (2009), hereafter those words were highlighted and displayed. Dictionary A, dental plosives were consistently Due to the fact that answering the second transcribed by the symbols [t d dh] and alveolar and the third research questions requires plosives were represented by the symbols [ʈ ɖ additional data, interviews and phonetic ɖh]. Meanwhile, in the Madurese dictionary by transcriptions reading-tests were also conducted. Mohtar (2016), hereafter Dictionary B, both We interviewed the lexicographers in order to dental and alveolar plosives were transcribed find out the reasons why they chose the IPA using the symbols [t d dh], however, there were symbols for dental and alveolar plosives in also some Madurese words containing alveolar their Madurese dictionaries. The interviews plosives which were represented by the symbols were conducted in an open give-and-take [ʈ ɖ ɖh] in his dictionary, considering them as conversation. The lexicographers’ responses retroflex sounds. and explanations were recorded, described, and commented. Table 3.1 Madurese words with dental plosives In order to determine the appropriateness in Dictionary A of the IPA symbols of dental and alveolar Voiced dental plosives plosives used in the dictionaries, ten linguistics students were asked to read the phonetic Dekdek [dəkdək] ‘Stock-still’ h transcriptions of the Madurese words with Ghundil [ɡ undil] ‘Caudal fin’ dental and alveolar plosives collected from the Nadâr [nadɐr] ‘Vow’ 198 Athour Rohman et al: Phonetic Transcriptions of ...
Voiceless dental plosives Voiceless aspirated alveolar plosives Bhântèng [bhɐntɛŋ] ‘throw down’ Ghândha ̂ [ɡhɐnɖhɐ] ‘ pretended’ Ghentong [ɡhǝntɔŋ] ‘rice wooden pestle’ Ghândhing [ɡhɐnɖhɪŋ] ‘to compare’ Kotak [kɔtak] ‘hen’s cackle’ Ghundhâ› [ɡhunɖhɐʔ] ‘to pull something strongly’ Otek [ɔtək] ‘brain’ Odhes [ɔɖhəs] ‘sick’ Patèh [patɛ] ‘die’ Peḍhâng [pəɖɖhɐŋ] ‘sword’
Voiceless aspirated dental plosives As seen in Table 3.2, alveolar plosives Ghândha ̂ [ɡhɐndhɐ] ‘make up’ were phonetically transcribed using the retroflex Ghândhing [ɡhɐndhɪŋ] ‘fisherman’s food box’ plosive symbols [ʈ ɖ ɖh] in Dictionary A. If Ghundhâ› [ɡhundhɐʔ] ‘to pull someone’s hair’ the readers or users of the dictionary applies Odhes [ɔdhəs] ‘to chase’ the standard rule of the IPA chart, they will h Peddhâng [pəddhɐŋ] ‘to slash’ automatically pronounce the symbols [ʈ ɖ ɖ ] in the Madurese words listed in Table 3.2 as As shown in Table 3.1, dental plosives retroflex plosives. All the Madurese words were phonetically represented by the symbols listed in Table 2 do not have minimal pairs [t d dh]. The symbols [t d dh] are the alveolar distinguishing between alveolar and retroflex plosive symbols by standard. It means that plosive sounds. If the readers or users of the dental plosives were phonetically represented dictionary realize the symbols [ʈ ɖ ɖh] in the by the alveolar plosive symbols in Dictionary Madurese words listed in Table 3.2 as retroflex A. All Madurese words listed in Table 3.1 are plosive sounds, the meaning of the words will the minimal pairs of the Madurese words listed not change, but this will result in a slightly in Table 3.2. As can be seen, the words are different pronunciation of the words. contrastive in their dental and alveolar plosives. In order to avoid misinterpretation of the If the readers or users of the dictionary symbols, the readers or users of this dictionary applies the standard IPA rules, they will have the should refer the orthographic transcriptions of tendency to pronounce the symbols [t d dh] in the words or refer to the phonetic information Madurese words listed in Table 3.1 as alveolar provided by the dictionary. The orthography plosives since the symbols [t d dh] are alveolar used in Dictionary A is the 2008 orthography. plosives by the IPA standard. Because all of the This orthography employed a straightforward Madurese words listed in Table 3.1 have minimal type of spelling rules. Every Madurese sound pairs distinguishing dental and alveolar plosives, was represented by the different letter or the meaning of the Madurese words listed in combination of letters in the 2008 orthography. Table 3.1 will change into their correspondent Dental plosives (i.e. voiceless, voiced, and minimal pairs listed in Table 3.2. voiceless aspirated) were orthographically represented by the letters Bekker, 2011). Therefore, it seems reasonable 3.3.1 [t d dh] for dental plosives and if the lexicographer of Dictionary B regarded [ʈ ɖ ɖh] for alveolar plosives in dental and alveolar plosives as similar sounds. Dictionary A Dental and alveolar are also interchangeably used by the native speakers of Madurese. Some The IPA symbols for dental and alveolar Madurese words such as dhâlubâng ‘paper’ plosives in Dictionary A are theoretically which is transcribed as [dhɐlubɐŋ] and dhâ’âr ‘to inappropriate for several reasons. The use of the eat’ which is transcribed as [dhɐʔɐr] in Dictionary symbols [t] and [d] as the dental plosive symbols B for example. The voiceless aspirated dental in Dictionary A is theoretically inappropriate plosive in the word dhâlubâng ‘paper’ can be because Madurese has both dental and alveolar altered by voiceless aspirated alveolar plosive plosives in its consonant inventory. When a by slightly retracting the position of the tongue language possesses both dental and alveolar when pronouncing the sound. The voiceless plosives in its consonant inventory, dental aspirated alveolar plosive in the word dhâ’âr plosives need to be phonetically represented by ‘to eat’ can be altered by voiceless aspirated the symbols [t̪] and [d̪ ] in order that the sounds dental plosive by slightly fronting the position can be distinguished from their alveolar plosive of the tongue when pronouncing the sound. counterparts (see The International Phonetic h Even though the voiceless aspirated dental Association, 2007). The use of the [d ] symbol plosive in the word dhâlubâng ‘paper’ is altered as the voiceless aspirated dental plosive symbol is theoretically inappropriate for two major by voiceless aspirated alveolar plosive; and the h voiceless aspirated alveolar plosive in the word reasons. Firstly, it is because the [d ] symbol is dhâ’âr ‘to eat’ is altered by voiceless aspirated the symbol of voiced aspirated alveolar plosives. Secondly, it has long been agreed that all aspirated dental plosive, the meaning of those words will plosive sounds in Madurese are voiceless (see not change since those two words do not have Cohn, 1993; Stevens, 1994; Cohn & Ham, 1998; minimal pairs distinguishing between voiceless Davies, 2010; Misnadin, et al., 2015; Misnadin, aspirated dental plosives and voiceless aspirated 2016, 2017). Therefore, not only the place of alveolar plosives. This is what the lexicographer articulation but also the voicing of the sounds of Dictionary B meant by “dental and alveolar may be misinterpreted by the readers. For these plosives are interchangeably used in Madurese”. reasons, the voiceless aspirated dental plosives However, it needs to be kept in mind that the in Madurese can be transcribed by the symbol interchangeability of dental and alveolar plosives [t̪ h]. in Madurese only occurs in Madurese words As their dental plosive counterparts, the IPA which do not have minimal pairs. Otherwise, symbols of alveolar plosive sounds in Dictionary this will result in different words with different A are theoretically inappropriate. Alveolar meanings. plosives can be phonetically transcribed by their standard IPA symbols [t] and [d]. The 3.3 The appropriateness of the IPA use of the symbols [ʈ] and [ɖ] as the alveolar symbols of dental and alveolar plosive symbols in Dictionary A is theoretically plosives used in Madurese inappropriate for the symbols [ʈ] and [ɖ] are the retroflex plosive symbols. The use of the symbol dictionaries [ɖh] as the voiceless aspirated alveolar plosive As has been discussed previously, dental symbol is also theoretically inappropriate for and alveolar plosives are represented by different two reasons. Firstly, it is because the [ɖh] symbol IPA symbols. Dental and alveolar plosives are is the symbol of voiced aspirated retroflex respectively represented by the symbols [t d dh] plosive sound. Secondly, it has long been agreed and [ʈ ɖ ɖh] in Dictionary A while in Dictionary B that all aspirated plosive sounds in Madurese are both dental and alveolar plosive are represented voiceless (see Cohn, 1993; Stevens, 1994; Cohn by the symbols [t d dh]. We will now look at the & Ham, 1998; Davies, 2010; Misnadin, et al., appropriateness of each of those IPA symbols in 2015; Misnadin, 2016, 2017). Therefore, not representing the sounds. only the place of articulation but also the voicing 202 Athour Rohman et al: Phonetic Transcriptions of ... of the sound may be misinterpreted by the readers or users even though the lexicographer readers. For these reasons, the voiceless aspirated of Dictionary A used the different IPA symbols alveolar plosives in Madurese can be transcribed to phonetically represent the two sounds. The by the symbol [th]. phonetic transcriptions reading-test of Dictionary Meanwhile, in terms of practical matters, A suggests that the readers or users are not the IPA symbols for dental and alveolar plosive completely able to distinguish dental from sounds in Dictionary A were also inappropriate. alveolar plosive sounds in Dictionary A. The The conflation of dental and alveolar plosive result of the phonetic transcriptions reading-test sounds is apparently still inevitable for the of Dictionary A is shown in the following table. Table 3.5 Phonetic transcriptions reading-test of Dictionary A Participant/s Mispronunciation Correct pronunciation (initial/s) Dental into alveolar Alveolar into dental DD 62.5% 18.75% 18.75% YS 79.17% 20.83% 0% FP 85.42% 12.5% 2.08% TA 62.5% 18.75% 18.75% FS 70.84% 14.58% 14.58% A 62.5% 18.75% 18.75% H 72.92% 10.42% 16.66% NM 60.42% 22.92% 16.66% BS 68.75% 20.83% 10.42% B 79.17% 20.83% 0% Average 70.42% 17.92% 11.66% As shown in Table 3.5, the average IPA symbols of dental and alveolar plosives used in percentage of the correct pronunciation of the Dictionary A are not practically well in representing phonetic transcriptions reading-test in Dictionary the sounds. A is 70.42%. The lowest score of the correct It is interesting that none of the [ʈ ɖ ɖh] pronunciation in Dictionary A is 60.42%. While symbols used in Dictionary A were pronounced the highest score of the correct pronunciation in as retroflex plosives by the readers. Some [ʈ ɖɖ h] Dictionary A is 85.42%. The highest score of the symbols in the Madurese words in Dictionary A correct pronunciation in Dictionary A is quite high, were correctly pronounced as alveolar plosives. but the score belongs to one participant only. That The readers of the dictionary also pronounced score does not automatically suggest that the IPA the symbols [ʈ ɖ ɖh] in some Madurese words symbols of dental and alveolar plosives used in in Dictionary A as dental plosive sounds. This Dictionary A are practically appropriate. On the other is a clear indication that the participants of hand, the average percentage of mispronouncing the test were aware that retroflex plosives are sounds produced by the participants during the not very common sounds in Madurese or it phonetic transcriptions reading-test in Dictionary may also indicate that the mother tongue of A is 29.58%. This finding suggests that the the participants also did not have the retroflex dictionary’s readers or users are not completely able plosive sound in its consonant inventory. Thus, to distinguish dental from alveolar plosive sounds. although alveolar plosives in Dictionary A were This is also to say that, the IPA symbols of dental transcribed using [ʈ ɖ ɖh] and the fact that the and alveolar plosives used in Dictionary A did not participants of the tests were aware that [ʈ ɖ ɖh] effectively help the reader to distinguish dental are symbols for retroflex plosives by standard, from alveolar plosive sounds of Madurese words they did not pronounce them as retroflex during listed in the dictionary. This is also to say that the the tests. 203 Metalingua, Vol. 18 No. 2, Desember 2020: 195—206 3.3.2 [t d dh] for both dental and alveolar order that the two sounds can be separately plosives in Dictionary B distinguished. Therefore, dental and alveolar plosives in Madurese can be best transcribed by Even though dental and alveolar plosives the symbols [t̪ d̪ t̪ h] and [t d th], respectively. are interchangeably used by Madurese native Meanwhile, in terms of practical matters, speakers, the two sounds are contrastive in the use of the same IPA symbols for dental and Madurese. Using the same alveolar plosive alveolar plosives in Dictionary B did not help symbols to phonetically transcribe dental and the readers/users of the dictionary to distinguish alveolar plosives in a language in which dental dental from alveolar plosives. The conflation of and alveolar plosives are contrastive is not dental and alveolar plosives in Dictionary B is theoretically appropriate. If dental and alveolar higher compared to that of Dictionary A. The plosives are contrastive, the two sounds need following table shows the result of the phonetic to be transcribed by the different symbols in transcriptions reading-test in Dictionary B. Table 3.6 Phonetic transcriptions reading-test of Dictionary B Participant/s Mispronunciation Correct pronunciation (initial/s) Dental into alveolar Alveolar into dental DD 61.11% 30.56% 8.33% YS 55.56% 22.22% 22.22% FP 55.56% 30.56% 13.88% TA 61.11% 11.11% 27.78% FS 63.89% 19.44% 16.67% A 58.33% 19.44% 22.22% H 63.89% 30.56% 5.55% NM 72.23% 8.33% 19.44% BS 58.33% 19.44% 22.22% B 80.56% 8.33% 11.11% Average 63.06% 20% 16.94% As shown in Table 3.6, the average suggested by the lexicographer of Dictionary B percentage of the correct pronunciation of saying that dental and alveolar plosive sounds are the phonetic transcriptions reading-test in very similar and the idea of dental and alveolar Dictionary B is 63.06%. The average percentage plosives in Madurese were interchangeably used of the mispronouncing sounds in Dictionary B by the Madurese native speakers is strengthened is 36.94%. by this finding. It is likely that it was because The highest score of the correct dental and alveolar plosives are very similar and pronunciation produced by the participant the two sounds are often interchangeably used by during the test is 80.56%, but the score belongs native speakers of Madurese. Thus, the two IPA to one participant only. Therefore, it is still symbols used in Dictionary A and Dictionary B inadequate to conclude that the IPA symbols for are still unable to effectively help the readers or dental and alveolar plosives used in Dictionary users of the dictionary. B effectively help the readers distinguish dental Considering the facts, it is recommended from alveolar plosive sounds. The average that dental and alveolar plosives in Madurese percentage of mispronouncing sounds in Dictionary be separately transcribed by the different IPA B is 36.94%. This percentage shows that the symbols in order that the two sounds can be dictionary’s readers or users were not completely clearly distinguished by the readers. And as it able to distinguish dental from alveolar plosive has been discussed earlier, after considering sounds while using the dictionary. The idea was some theoretical and practical issues relating to 204 Athour Rohman et al: Phonetic Transcriptions of ... dental and alveolar plosives of Madurese, it can two sounds are variably transcribed. The absence be concluded that dental and alveolar plosives in of the separate symbols of dental plosives in the Madurese can be best transcribed by the symbols IPA chart also contributes to such variability. [t̪ d̪ ] and [t d], respectively. It has also been It can also be concluded that the symbols of agreed by many researchers that all aspirated dental and alveolar plosives used in Madurese stops in Madurese are voiceless; therefore, it dictionaries are still theoretically inappropriate can be concluded that aspirated dental and and unhelpful for the readers. Nevertheless, aspirated alveolar plosives in Madurese are after considering some theoretical and practical also voiceless. Based on this consideration, issues related to dental and alveolar plosives in voiceless aspirated dental plosive and voiceless Madurese, we suggest that dental and alveolar aspirated alveolar plosives in Madurese can plosives in this language can be best transcribed be best transcribed by the symbols [th] and ̪ by the symbols [t̪ d̪ ] and [t d], respectively. [thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh] respectively. Since it has also been agreed by researchers that all aspirated stops in Madurese are voiceless, 4. Conclusion it has to be kept in mind that aspirated dental Dental and alveolar plosives are still variably and aspirated alveolar plosives in Madurese transcribed in Madurese dictionaries. The two are also voiceless. Thus, we suggest that sounds are variably transcribed with different voiceless aspirated dental plosive and voiceless symbols. The findings indicate that the similarity aspirated alveolar plosives in Madurese can and the interchangeability of the two sounds in be best transcribed by the symbols [t̪ h] and Madurese were the two major reasons why the [thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh], respectively. References Anderson, V. B., & Maddieson, I. 1994. “Acoustic Characteristics of Tiwi Coronal Stops”. UCLA Working Papers in Phonetics , 87, 131—63. Cohn, A. C. (1993). “Voicing and Vowel Heigt in Madurese: A Preliminary Report”. Oceanic Linguitics Special Publications: Tonality in Austronesian Languages (24), 107—121. Cohn, A. C., & Ham, W. 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Cambridge: Cambridge University Press . 206 in the malathè [malaʈɛ] ‘jasmine’; plosive symbols [t d dh] in his dictionary. The and