The Study of Phonological Transformations in Kupang Malay: A Descriptive Analysis of Fortition

Abstract

The Kupang Malay dialect, spoken in Kupang City, Indonesia, is a regional variant of the broader Malay language family. This study aims to provide a descriptive analysis of the fortition, a phonological process that shapes the auditory perception of Kupang Malay. Fortition, as one of the key phonological processes in Kupang Malay, involves strengthening sounds, such as the transformation of close mid-front unrounded vowels to open-front unrounded vowels. This study employs a qualitative descriptive methodology, relying on observations and interviews to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these sound changes. The findings reveal a range of fortition-driven sound changes in Kupang Malay, including the transformation of [i] to [e], [e] to [a], and [u] to [o] and vowel substitution/shift of [ə] to [a] and [ə] to [u]. These shifts are characterized by the dominance of the switch from close mid-front unrounded vowels to open-front unrounded vowels.