[[abstract]]In this paper, we investigate neutral tones in Urumqi Chinese from the instrumental and theoretical perspectives. Our major finding contradicts a popular view in that neutral tones are primarily cued by shorter phonetic length. In this language, tonal neutralization is thus also attributable to difficulties in maintaining contrasts in a durationally diminished syllable. An OT analysis is subsequently provided to account for the phenomena found in the Urumqi Chinese data. In particular, we argue that there is a need for the notion of Kenstowicz’s (1996) UNIFORM EXPONENCE in analyzing phonetic realization of underlying tonal targets.
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