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Introduction: Tracing the origin of /s/ variation

  • Erez Levon EMAIL logo , Marie Maegaard and Nicolai Pharao
Published/Copyright: September 6, 2017

Abstract

This paper provides an introduction to the papers in this special issue on the sociophonetics of /s/. We begin by reviewing some of the principal findings on variation in the production and perception of /s/, summarizing studies in sociolinguistics, experimental phonetics, and laboratory phonology. We go on to identify similarities in the meanings associated with /s/ variation cross-linguistically, and briefly describe how theories of sound symbolism may help us to account for these patterns. We conclude this introductory article with a summary of the contributions to the special issue and a discussion of how together these articles help us to better understand that origin and trajectory of socially meaningful sociophonetic variation.

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Published Online: 2017-9-6
Published in Print: 2017-9-26

© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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