Rhotics in Nariñense Andean Spanish: an analysis of lenition and fortition patterns
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Presenter Language
Spanish
Research Area
Phonetics & Phonology, Language variation and change, Language contact
Location
MBSC Council Room 306
Start Date
19-10-2024 3:30 PM
End Date
19-10-2024 4:00 PM
Abstract
Rhotics in Nariñense Andean Spanish: an analysis of lenition and fortition patterns
Traditionally, changes in the relative strength of a sound are described as a weakening or strengthening of articulatory gestures. It is generally claimed that consonants in intervocalic position favor lenition [References 1, 6]. The current pilot study investigates similar patterns of lenition and fortition on intervocalic rhotics in Nariñense, an understudied Andean Spanish variety spoken in Highland Colombia. Acoustic analysis of intervocalic rhotics as produced by eleven native speakers from Nariño in a guided, semi-spontaneous speech task showed that the distribution of rhotics can be grouped into three main categories. Tap variants include non-continuant taps with a release burst and frication (60.1%), and approximant taps (35%). In contrast, trill variants include voiced and voiceless fricatives (48.1%), trills with one, two, or three occlusions (41.1%), and approximant trills (10.8%). Curiously, a similar pattern was found between the non-continuant tap and the one-occlusion trill variants. Both were realized with a long closure followed by a release burst or frication (Figure 1) but can be distinguished by their overall duration, 31.1 milliseconds (ms) for the tap and 63.5ms for the trill.
The data from Nariñense Spanish suggest that taps and trill exhibit both, lenition, and fortition patterns. Tap variants show strengthening patterns reflected in the long constriction accompanied by a release burst and increased segmental duration (29.1ms), which is longer than in other Spanish varieties (20ms in [4], 23ms in [2], and 27.7ms in [3]). Trill variants show patterns of both fortition and lenition. A change from a trill to a fricative (which was the only trill variant across older speakers) or to an approximant variant can be characterized as a weakening pattern that results from a reduced gesture that fails to produce adequate airflow necessary to create more than one lingual constriction [5]. Strengthening patterns are reflected in voicelessness, the presence of a release burst, and increased segmental duration (95.6ms), again, longer than in other Spanish varieties (64ms in [2], 69ms in [3]), and 84ms in [4]). Although the taps and trills in Nariñense Spanish exhibited similar variants (e.g. approximants), they differ in their overall duration, 29ms and 95ms respectively (Figure 2).
[350]
Supplementary material for the abstract (figures and references)
Rhotics in Nariñense Andean Spanish: an analysis of lenition and fortition patterns
MBSC Council Room 306
Rhotics in Nariñense Andean Spanish: an analysis of lenition and fortition patterns
Traditionally, changes in the relative strength of a sound are described as a weakening or strengthening of articulatory gestures. It is generally claimed that consonants in intervocalic position favor lenition [References 1, 6]. The current pilot study investigates similar patterns of lenition and fortition on intervocalic rhotics in Nariñense, an understudied Andean Spanish variety spoken in Highland Colombia. Acoustic analysis of intervocalic rhotics as produced by eleven native speakers from Nariño in a guided, semi-spontaneous speech task showed that the distribution of rhotics can be grouped into three main categories. Tap variants include non-continuant taps with a release burst and frication (60.1%), and approximant taps (35%). In contrast, trill variants include voiced and voiceless fricatives (48.1%), trills with one, two, or three occlusions (41.1%), and approximant trills (10.8%). Curiously, a similar pattern was found between the non-continuant tap and the one-occlusion trill variants. Both were realized with a long closure followed by a release burst or frication (Figure 1) but can be distinguished by their overall duration, 31.1 milliseconds (ms) for the tap and 63.5ms for the trill.
The data from Nariñense Spanish suggest that taps and trill exhibit both, lenition, and fortition patterns. Tap variants show strengthening patterns reflected in the long constriction accompanied by a release burst and increased segmental duration (29.1ms), which is longer than in other Spanish varieties (20ms in [4], 23ms in [2], and 27.7ms in [3]). Trill variants show patterns of both fortition and lenition. A change from a trill to a fricative (which was the only trill variant across older speakers) or to an approximant variant can be characterized as a weakening pattern that results from a reduced gesture that fails to produce adequate airflow necessary to create more than one lingual constriction [5]. Strengthening patterns are reflected in voicelessness, the presence of a release burst, and increased segmental duration (95.6ms), again, longer than in other Spanish varieties (64ms in [2], 69ms in [3]), and 84ms in [4]). Although the taps and trills in Nariñense Spanish exhibited similar variants (e.g. approximants), they differ in their overall duration, 29ms and 95ms respectively (Figure 2).
[350]