The evolution of the (alveolo)palatal lateral consonant in Spanish and Portuguese
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Andre Zampaulo
Abstract
This paper provides a formal account on the evolution of the (alveolo)palatal lateral consonant /ʎ/ in Spanish and Portuguese, by considering the phonetic motivation for its variation patterns and by connecting its synchronic dialectal distribution with its diachronic pathways of change. The novel approach in this study presents a unified, constraint-based view of the role that the articulatory and acoustic patterns of the aforementioned consonant have played in its history and continue to shape its current dialectal manifestations. More specifically, it proposes that the three apparently disconnected transformations this consonant incurred at different points throughout the history of Spanish (i.e. /ʎ/ > /j/, /ʎ/ > /ʝ/, /ʎ/ > /ʒ/) and Portuguese (i.e. /ʎ/ > /j/) reveal, in fact, integrated steps of changes that compose its historical evolution, i.e. /ʎ/ > /j/ > /ʝ/ > /ʒ/.
Abstract
This paper provides a formal account on the evolution of the (alveolo)palatal lateral consonant /ʎ/ in Spanish and Portuguese, by considering the phonetic motivation for its variation patterns and by connecting its synchronic dialectal distribution with its diachronic pathways of change. The novel approach in this study presents a unified, constraint-based view of the role that the articulatory and acoustic patterns of the aforementioned consonant have played in its history and continue to shape its current dialectal manifestations. More specifically, it proposes that the three apparently disconnected transformations this consonant incurred at different points throughout the history of Spanish (i.e. /ʎ/ > /j/, /ʎ/ > /ʝ/, /ʎ/ > /ʒ/) and Portuguese (i.e. /ʎ/ > /j/) reveal, in fact, integrated steps of changes that compose its historical evolution, i.e. /ʎ/ > /j/ > /ʝ/ > /ʒ/.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Phonology
- A Phonological motivation behind the diatonic stress shift in Modern English 3
- Vowel reduction in verbs in King Alfred’s Pastoral Care 19
- The development of early Middle English ō 41
- The diachronic development of stød and tonal accent in North Germanic 53
- The evolution of the (alveolo)palatal lateral consonant in Spanish and Portuguese 69
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Diachronic typology
- Evaluating prehistoric and early historic linguistic contacts 89
- Patterns in the diffusion of nomenclature systems 109
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Morphology
- Morphological evidence for the paradigmatic status of infinitives in French and Occitan 135
- Constructional change at the interface of cognition, culture, and language use 155
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Morphosyntax
- Stages in deflexion and the Norwegian dative 179
- Differential Object Marking in Old Japanese 195
- The grammaticalization of progressive constructions with a focus on the English progressive 213
- Hate and anger, love and desire 233
- The argument indexing of early Austronesian verbs 257
- The syntax of mood constructions in Old Japanese 281
- Medieval Sardinian 303
- Index 325
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Phonology
- A Phonological motivation behind the diatonic stress shift in Modern English 3
- Vowel reduction in verbs in King Alfred’s Pastoral Care 19
- The development of early Middle English ō 41
- The diachronic development of stød and tonal accent in North Germanic 53
- The evolution of the (alveolo)palatal lateral consonant in Spanish and Portuguese 69
-
Diachronic typology
- Evaluating prehistoric and early historic linguistic contacts 89
- Patterns in the diffusion of nomenclature systems 109
-
Morphology
- Morphological evidence for the paradigmatic status of infinitives in French and Occitan 135
- Constructional change at the interface of cognition, culture, and language use 155
-
Morphosyntax
- Stages in deflexion and the Norwegian dative 179
- Differential Object Marking in Old Japanese 195
- The grammaticalization of progressive constructions with a focus on the English progressive 213
- Hate and anger, love and desire 233
- The argument indexing of early Austronesian verbs 257
- The syntax of mood constructions in Old Japanese 281
- Medieval Sardinian 303
- Index 325
