Sireemas Maspong

Post-Doctoral Researcher,
Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing

I am a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing (IPS), Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich). I am working with the Spoken Language Processing Group led by James Kirby.
I recently received a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Cornell University. My advisors were John Whitman and Sam Tilsen.
I work on phonetics, phonology, and historical linguistics with a focus on Southeast Asian languages.

Reseach

I am interested in understanding sound change using historical and experimental methods.
I have been studying vowel quality changes in languages with tone/register, especially languages of Southeast Asia.

Selected Publications

to appear    An exploratory investigation of interactions between syllabic prominence, initial geminates, and phrasal boundaries in Pattani Malay. Journal of the International Phonetic Association.
(with Francesco Burroni, Pittayawat Pittayaporn, Pimthip Kochaiyaphum)
to appear    Re-examining initial geminates: typology, evolutionary, phonology, and phonetics. Papers from the 24th International Conference on Historical Linguistics (ICHL24).
(with Francesco Burroni)
2023    Voice quality is not an obligatory stage in tonogenesis: A case study of Eastern Khmu. Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS2023). 3036-3040 [paper]
2022    Khmer onset voicing at the end of the 13th century: Zhenla Fengtu Ji revisited. Cahier de Linguistique Asie Orientale. 51(2), 175-208 [paper] [pre-printed paper]
2022    Unifying Initial Geminates and fortis stops via laryngeal specification: Three case studies from Pattani Malay, Salentino, and Dunan. Proceedings of the 2021 Annual Meeting on Phonology (AMP2021). [paper] [abstract]
(with Francesco Burroni, Raksit Lau-Preechathammarach)
2021    Functional Load modulates speech production, but not speech perception: Evidence from Thai vowel length. Proceedings of the 12th International Seminar on Speech Production (ISSP2021). [paper]
(with Francesco Burroni)
2020    A new look at Pattani Malay Initial Geminates: a statistical and machine learning approach. Proceedings of the 34th Pacific Asia Conference in Language, Information and Computation. [paper]
(with Francesco Burroni, Pittayawat Pittayaporn, Pimthip Kochaiyaphum)
2019    Length contrast of high vowels in the Thai language of the Sukhothai period: What do the inscriptions say?. Cahier de Linguistique Asie Orientale 48(1), 30-60. 2019. [post-printed paper]

Dissertations

2023    Synchrony and diachrony of vowel quality difference across register in Mon-Khmer languages [full-text]
2016    Vowel length contrasts in the language of Sukhothai period (in Thai) [full-text]

Presentations without Full-paper

2023    Geminates are not just longer singletons: evidence from Italian articulatory data. 53rd Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages. Paris, France. [slides]
(with Francesco Burroni and Teerawee Sukanchanon)
2023    Chronology of registrogenesis in Khmer: An analysis of poetry and inscriptions. SEALS 32. Chiang Mai, Thailand. (hybrid). [abstract & slides]
2022    The temporal unfolding of phonologized diphthongs and register in two dialects of Chanthaburi Khmer. LabPhon 18. (virtual). [abstract & slides]
2020    Interaction of initial geminates and stress: a case study of Pattani Malay. LabPhon 17. Vancouver, Canada. (virtual). [abstract] [poster] [video presentation]
(with Francesco Burroni, Pimthip Kochaiyaphum, Pittayawat Pittayaporn)
2019    Contrast Emergence, Preservation, and Loss: A case study of initial geminates. ICHL 2019. Canberra, Australia. [abstract] [slides]
(with Francesco Burroni)
2018    The genetic relationship between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. SEALS 28. Kaohsiung, Taiwan. [abstract] [slides]
(with Pittayawat Pittayaporn, Shinnakrit Tangsiriwattanakul, Yanyong Sikkharit)
2018    Production and perception of marginal contrast: Length contrast in Thai mid vowels. SEALS 28. Kaohsiung, Taiwan. [abstract] [slides]

Projects

Coming soon!

Others

Aside from the projects above, I am also interested in etymology. I sometimes write short squibs on the etymology of Thai words and post them on a facebook page.
I have a black doggo, Simba, who sometimes has to listen to me and my collegues practice our talks.


Contact Information

Akademiestraße 7, 80799 Munich, Germany

Emails.maspong@phonetik.uni-muenchen.de