Phonetic Typology and Positional Allophones for Alveolar Rhotics in Catalan
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Daniel Recasens
Abstract
The present study reports electropalatographic and acoustic data on the positionaland contextual characteristics of alveolar taps and trills in Majorcan,Valencian and Eastern Catalan. The two consonant classes are invariably opposedby degree of tongue dorsum contact and F2, but only differentiated by place ofarticulation when constriction location for the trill is sufficiently retracted. Trillsare produced with less than three contacts and may exhibit a single contact inutterance-initial position and, less often, in /Cr, VrV/ sequences. Word-final and, toa lesser extent, preconsonantal rhotics are implemented as taps in Majorcan andValencian, and strengthened into trills in Eastern Catalan. Moreover, thereappears to be an inverse relationship between initial strengthening, and intervocalicweakening and the absence of syllable-final strengthening, for Valencianrhotics, which could be indicative of a pattern of intersegmental organization.Shortening and articulatory reduction turned out not to be necessarily related forextremely short Valencian taps, which undergo much undershoot intervocalicallybut are highly constricted in /Cɾ , rC/ sequences. Other research aspects suchas devoicing and intergestural timing for Catalan alveolar rhotics are alsoinvestigated.
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© 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel
Articles in the same Issue
- Original Paper
- Phonetic Typology and Positional Allophones for Alveolar Rhotics in Catalan
- Analysis of Tones in Cantonese Speech Based on the Command-Response Model
- In Memoriam
- Eva Gårding 1920–2006
- Libri
- Speech Acoustics and Phonetics: Selected Writings
- Speech Sounds; 2nd ed.
- The Pronunciation of English: A Coursebook; 2nd ed.
- Further Section
- Publications Received for Review
Articles in the same Issue
- Original Paper
- Phonetic Typology and Positional Allophones for Alveolar Rhotics in Catalan
- Analysis of Tones in Cantonese Speech Based on the Command-Response Model
- In Memoriam
- Eva Gårding 1920–2006
- Libri
- Speech Acoustics and Phonetics: Selected Writings
- Speech Sounds; 2nd ed.
- The Pronunciation of English: A Coursebook; 2nd ed.
- Further Section
- Publications Received for Review
