Introduction to the special issue on Japanese geminate obstruents
Geminate obstruents (GOs) and so-called unaccented words are the two properties most characteristic of Japanese phonology and the two features that are most difficult to learn for foreign learners of Japanese, regardless of their native language. This special issue deals with the first of these features, discussing what makes GOs so difficult to master, what is so special about them, and what makes the research thereon so interesting. GOs are one of the two types of geminate consonant in Japanese which roughly corresponds to what is called ‘sokuon’ (促音). ‘Sokon’ is defined as a ‘one-moralong silence’ (Sanseido Daijirin Dictionary), often symbolized as /Q/ in Japanese linguistics, and is transcribed with a small letter corresponding to /tu/ (っ or ッ) in Japanese orthography. Its presence or absence is distinctive in Japanese phonology as exemplified by many pairs of words, including the following (dots /. / indicate syllable boundaries).