Prosodic Structure and Rhythmic Patterns in Zhuang Folk Songs: A Metrical Phonological Perspective

Authors

  • Honglei Chen

    Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
  • Chalermsak Pikulsri

    Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
  • Surapol Nesusin

    Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11954
Received: 4 September 2025 | Revised: 17 October 2025 | Accepted: 21 October 2025 | Published Online: 4 December 2025

Abstract

This study systematically examines the prosodic characteristics of Zhuang folk songs, an important intangible cultural heritage of China, to understand interface mechanisms between tonal languages and music. Based on prosodic phonology theory and Optimality Theory, we constructed a large-scale annotated corpus of 1250 Zhuang folk songs from three dialect regions across 12 prefectural-level cities in Guangxi. Using acoustic analysis, statistical modeling, and prosodic annotation, we explored realization patterns of the Zhuang tonal system in singing and its interaction with musical rhythm. The findings reveal systematic tone compression of 0.74 (±0.12) in singing, with a tone retention rate of 68.9%. Level tones show significantly smaller pitch range (38.7 Hz) than in speech (52.4 Hz, t = 8.92, p < 0.001). Prosodic hierarchy-musical beat alignment exhibits gradient characteristics, with prosodic word stress alignment (78.3%) significantly exceeding syllable level (54.6%, F(3,1246) = 87.23, p < 0.001). Tone neutralization occurs more frequently at prosodic boundaries (46.2%) than word-internally (26.8%), with pre-boundary lengthening ratio reaching 1.73 times. Regional analysis shows northern dialect tone retention rate (73.8%) exceeds southern regions (65.4%) by 8.4 percentage points (t = 5.82, p < 0.001), with mixed-effects models confirming significant dialect (β = 0.38) and age effects (β = −0.12). The established prosodic hierarchy constraint model successfully explains coordination mechanisms between linguistic prosody and musical structure in Zhuang folk songs, confirming dynamic balance between tonal integrity and melodic alignment constraints. This research provides new theoretical perspectives for singing prosody in tonal languages and scientific evidence for preserving ethnic minority musical culture.

Keywords:

Zhuang Folk Songs; Prosodic Phonology; Tone-Melody Mapping; Optimality Theory; Corpus Phonetics; Prosodic Boundaries

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How to Cite

Chen, H., Pikulsri, C., & Nesusin, S. (2025). Prosodic Structure and Rhythmic Patterns in Zhuang Folk Songs: A Metrical Phonological Perspective. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 1698–1713. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11954

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Honglei Chen, Chalermsak Pikulsri, Surapol Nesusin

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.