An Acoustic Basis for Palatal Geminate Behavior in Spanish
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Gary K. Baker
Abstract
This paper investigates the phonetic bases of aspects of the phonological behavior of the palatal segments (/ɲ ʎ ʝ/) of Spanish. A moraic geminate structure is assumed for these segments to account for rather exceptional distributional and prosodic effects, particularly the narrowing of the stress window apparently triggered by palatal onsets in ultimae. I conduct a series of acoustic analyses on field data to identify acoustic features that might underpin this proposed geminate structure. I focus on prepalatal vowels and, in line with recent research, examine their duration, F2 profiles, and perceptual loudness. Results show that vowels before palatals are significantly longer than those before other types of consonants (occlusives and sonorants). This is explained in coarticulatory terms: anticipatory tongue-raising in the vowels – manifest in pronounced F2 excursions – is posited to exert a lengthening effect on the vowels as speakers negotiate target values with those of the rising F2, providing a perceptual basis for the posited moraic structure of the palatals in question.
Abstract
This paper investigates the phonetic bases of aspects of the phonological behavior of the palatal segments (/ɲ ʎ ʝ/) of Spanish. A moraic geminate structure is assumed for these segments to account for rather exceptional distributional and prosodic effects, particularly the narrowing of the stress window apparently triggered by palatal onsets in ultimae. I conduct a series of acoustic analyses on field data to identify acoustic features that might underpin this proposed geminate structure. I focus on prepalatal vowels and, in line with recent research, examine their duration, F2 profiles, and perceptual loudness. Results show that vowels before palatals are significantly longer than those before other types of consonants (occlusives and sonorants). This is explained in coarticulatory terms: anticipatory tongue-raising in the vowels – manifest in pronounced F2 excursions – is posited to exert a lengthening effect on the vowels as speakers negotiate target values with those of the rising F2, providing a perceptual basis for the posited moraic structure of the palatals in question.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- An Acoustic Basis for Palatal Geminate Behavior in Spanish 1
- Mapping the Patterns of Maintenance versus Merger in Bilingual Phonology 15
- New Tendencies in Geographical Dialectology 31
- Output-to-output Correspondence and the Emergence of the Unmarked in Spanish Plural Formation 49
- Mapping French Pronunciation 65
- Phonological Variability in the Laboratory 83
- Constraint Re-ranking in Three Grammars 97
- Mid Vowels and Schwa in Eastern Catalan 113
- The Nominal Stress System of Romanian (re)revisited 127
- Proto-Romance Stress Shift Revisited 141
- Final -m in Yucatan Spanish 155
- Stressed Enclitics? 167
- How To Do Things Without Junk 183
- Subject Index 207
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- An Acoustic Basis for Palatal Geminate Behavior in Spanish 1
- Mapping the Patterns of Maintenance versus Merger in Bilingual Phonology 15
- New Tendencies in Geographical Dialectology 31
- Output-to-output Correspondence and the Emergence of the Unmarked in Spanish Plural Formation 49
- Mapping French Pronunciation 65
- Phonological Variability in the Laboratory 83
- Constraint Re-ranking in Three Grammars 97
- Mid Vowels and Schwa in Eastern Catalan 113
- The Nominal Stress System of Romanian (re)revisited 127
- Proto-Romance Stress Shift Revisited 141
- Final -m in Yucatan Spanish 155
- Stressed Enclitics? 167
- How To Do Things Without Junk 183
- Subject Index 207
