Startseite Linguistik & Semiotik Rethinking the phonological process of /s/ voicing assimilation in Spanish: An acoustic comparison of three regional varieties
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Rethinking the phonological process of /s/ voicing assimilation in Spanish: An acoustic comparison of three regional varieties

  • Beatriz Sedó EMAIL logo , Lauren B. Schmidt und Erik W. Willis
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 22. April 2020

Abstract

Spanish is described as having an /s/ regressive voicing assimilation process by which the sibilant is voiced when followed by a voiced consonant. However, experimental studies documenting the nature of the process – including variation in its realization across speech varieties – are limited. The current study presents an acoustic analysis of the phonetic nature of the process, including an analysis of the linguistic and social factors which influence voicing of the /s/. Using an identical controlled phrase elicitation task, rates and location of voicing within the /s/ segment were compared across three varieties of Spanish: Mexican Spanish (Mexico City) and two Peninsular varieties (León and Vitoria). Different voicing rates and different linguistic voicing predictors were found across dialects. The data suggest that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is far from a categorical process in Spanish, with variable rates of application between 43% and 63%. We propose that, based on the data, /s/ voicing in Spanish is, in fact, better understood as a progressive voicing process (i. e. continuation of voicing from the previous vowel), and that the linguistic factors that condition voicing can be explained in part through articulatory and aerodynamic mechanisms. We also discuss the phonetics and phonology of the process.

Appendix A. List of tokens

Items marked with an M are tokens in the original instrument by Schmidt and Willis (2011) in Mexico City, which were substituted by different tokens (marked with an S) for the speakers in Spain

TokensBefore voiced consonantsBefore voiceless consonants
Word-finaltres bananas (M)

dos rosas

tres vestidos

dos máscaras

tres limones

tres hielos

seis gatos

unas gafas

dos botas

dos globos

dos lápices

tres libros

tres discos

dos mesas

seis nueces

dos hierbas

tres huevos

tres moscas

dos bisnietos

dos duraznos (M)

seis dientes

seis narices

tres ranas

dos ratones

tres huesos

dos huellas

seis vasos

Carlos vende (x2)

Mercedes vende (x2)

Andrés vende (x2)

Luis vende (x2)

Inés vende (x2)

Nicolás vende (x2)

Tomás vende (x2)

Dolores vende (x2)

Marcos vende (x2)

Milagros vende (x2)

dos bolsos (S)

dos muslos (S)
dos pescados

dos tamales (M)

tres postres

dos coches

tres cuadernos

tres casas

dos payasos

tres patos

dos tijeras

seis tigres

tres tiburones

dos tomates (S)

unos prismáticos (S)
Word-internalrosbif

esmalte

béisbol

isla

bisnietos

chisme (M)

duraznos (M)

asnos

Cisne

fantasma

Israel (x2)

Esmeralda (x2)

Ismael (x2)

Osvaldo (x2)

muslos (S)

prismáticos (S)
pescados

postres

espejos

vestidos

revistas

máscaras

discos

Cristina (x2)

Ernesto (x2)

Óscar (x2)

Francisco (x2)

Appendix B. Voicing rates and distribution of tokens for the significant factors

MEXICO CITYLEÓNVITORIAALL DIALECTS COMBINED
[s][z][s][z][s][z][s][z]
FACTOR%n%n%n%n%n%n%n%nTotal n
Manner of articulationApproximant46.21854.82138.71261.31952.81947.21746.24953.857106
Lateral55.82944.22360.92839.1187539251364963654150
Nasal49.48750.6895883526079.511620.53061.528638.5179465
Stop28.110971.927926.59173.525344.915055.118432.835067.27161,066
Previous vowel/a/36.43263.85646.53353.53864.54035.52247.510552.5116221
/e/39.28760.81353466465.412159.310840.7744425956330589
/i/39.65960.49048.86351.2666578354250.320049.7198398
/o/33.26566.813129.25070.812147.79252.31013720763353560
/u/0050450454.5645.5552.61047.4919
StressAtonic24.15475.917031676914947.710252.311234.122365.9431654
Tonic43.918956.124242.214757.820162.722237.313249.255850.85751,133
Sentence positionSentence initial25.97974.122624.96475.119344.110852.311231.125168.9556807
Sentence final46.916453.118648.915051.115766.921633.110754.153045.9450980
Word positionWord internal37.36262.710454.48045.66768.910031.54652.724247.3217459
Word final371816330832.113467.928353.122446.919840.653959.47891,328
TOTAL37.124362.941237.921462.1350573244324443.778156.310061,787

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Published Online: 2020-04-22
Published in Print: 2020-05-27

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