4 From vowel weakening in Romance to French schwa
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Helene N. Andreassen
Abstract
This chapter, which has a focus on French, explores a number of strategies used in weak structural positions across Romance languages which conspire to reduce vowels or ultimately lead to their loss. We offer an interpretation of raising, gliding, and centering in terms of a framework based on unary elements, as defended in Dependency Phonology and other frameworks. We argue that most instances of weakening can be interpreted in terms of element loss, although syllabicity, centering, and dependency reversals can also play a role. As a consequence, there emerges a concept of weak phonological schwa as an empty vowel. We test this theoretical approach on French schwa, show its drawbacks, and consider alternative treatments. In light of the intra-speaker, inter-speaker, and inter-dialectal variation observed in data extracted from the PFC (Phonologie du français contemporain) corpus, we suggest that, with the exception of southern French varieties, French schwa is not best interpreted as an empty vowel and that a more concrete theoretical alternative is called for.
Abstract
This chapter, which has a focus on French, explores a number of strategies used in weak structural positions across Romance languages which conspire to reduce vowels or ultimately lead to their loss. We offer an interpretation of raising, gliding, and centering in terms of a framework based on unary elements, as defended in Dependency Phonology and other frameworks. We argue that most instances of weakening can be interpreted in terms of element loss, although syllabicity, centering, and dependency reversals can also play a role. As a consequence, there emerges a concept of weak phonological schwa as an empty vowel. We test this theoretical approach on French schwa, show its drawbacks, and consider alternative treatments. In light of the intra-speaker, inter-speaker, and inter-dialectal variation observed in data extracted from the PFC (Phonologie du français contemporain) corpus, we suggest that, with the exception of southern French varieties, French schwa is not best interpreted as an empty vowel and that a more concrete theoretical alternative is called for.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Manuals of Romance Linguistics V
- Acknowledgments VII
- Table of contents IX
- List of abbreviations XIII
- Romance phonetics and phonology: an introduction 1
-
I. Key topics in Romance phonology
- 1 Length and weight in Romance 31
- 2 Syllable structure and (re)syllabification 89
- 3 Processes affecting vowels 127
- 4 From vowel weakening in Romance to French schwa 150
- 5 Palatalization in Romance 173
- 6 Nasals and nasalization 215
- 7 The evolution of Latin stress into Romance with special consideration of French 242
- 8 Comparing and deconstructing speech rhythm across Romance languages 264
- 9 Intonation 299
- 10 Corpus phonology 319
- 11 Sociophonetics 342
- 12 First language acquisition of Romance phonology 375
- 13 Bilingual phonological acquisition 407
- 14 Second and third language acquisition of Romance phonology 435
- 15 The phonology of Romance contact varieties 462
- 16 Loanword phonology in Romance 503
-
II. Phonetics and phonology of Romance languages
- 17 Romanian 531
- 18 Italian 559
- 19 Sardinian 597
- 20 Rhaeto-Romance: Friulian, Ladin, and Romansh 628
- 21 French 669
- 22 Occitan 709
- 23 Catalan 743
- 24 Spanish 779
- 25 Judeo-Spanish 808
- 26 Portuguese 839
- 27 Galician 882
- 28 Romance-lexifier creoles 929
- List of contributors 955
- Index 957
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Manuals of Romance Linguistics V
- Acknowledgments VII
- Table of contents IX
- List of abbreviations XIII
- Romance phonetics and phonology: an introduction 1
-
I. Key topics in Romance phonology
- 1 Length and weight in Romance 31
- 2 Syllable structure and (re)syllabification 89
- 3 Processes affecting vowels 127
- 4 From vowel weakening in Romance to French schwa 150
- 5 Palatalization in Romance 173
- 6 Nasals and nasalization 215
- 7 The evolution of Latin stress into Romance with special consideration of French 242
- 8 Comparing and deconstructing speech rhythm across Romance languages 264
- 9 Intonation 299
- 10 Corpus phonology 319
- 11 Sociophonetics 342
- 12 First language acquisition of Romance phonology 375
- 13 Bilingual phonological acquisition 407
- 14 Second and third language acquisition of Romance phonology 435
- 15 The phonology of Romance contact varieties 462
- 16 Loanword phonology in Romance 503
-
II. Phonetics and phonology of Romance languages
- 17 Romanian 531
- 18 Italian 559
- 19 Sardinian 597
- 20 Rhaeto-Romance: Friulian, Ladin, and Romansh 628
- 21 French 669
- 22 Occitan 709
- 23 Catalan 743
- 24 Spanish 779
- 25 Judeo-Spanish 808
- 26 Portuguese 839
- 27 Galician 882
- 28 Romance-lexifier creoles 929
- List of contributors 955
- Index 957
