Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...

example, in a particular dialect, tack is relatively frequently preaspirated,
it is likely that tak, låt and lott are as well).
Second, Tronnier presents data on mean durations for the preaspirated
stop tokens of each dialect. For tak, preaspiration durations in the
different dialects range from 23–70 ms (mean = 44 ms); for låt from 15–
51 ms (mean = 39 ms); for tack from 18–53 ms (mean = 38 ms); and for
lott from 19–54 ms (mean = 41 ms). Thus the difference in preaspiration
duration between different word types is not very large.
In terms of preaspiration duration, these findings are consistent with
those from CSw presented in Chapter 4. However, unlike Tronnier’s
study, the CSw findings do not indicate particular contextual differences
in the frequency of occurrence of preaspiration, such that particular
vowels or stops should induce preaspiration more or less frequently than
do others. And as with the study of Wretling et al., one should note that
since mean durations for each word and each dialect are presented,
individual variation is obscured. However, since up to 12 speakers
represent each dialect in Tronnier’s study, there is less danger that the
absence or presence of preaspiration in a particular speaker skews the
results for his/her dialect.
Lastly, we turn to van Dommelen’s (1998, 1999, 2000) studies of
preaspiration in Norwegian. Van Dommelen (1999) investigated the durational
properties of VC intervals in the words lake ‘brine’ and lage ‘to
make’ in the speech of 24 Norwegian subjects. The dialectal background
of the subjects varied. Of the 24 subjects, 5 were from areas that van
Dommelen (ibid: p. 2038) claims are “traditionally regarded to have preaspiration”
(2 from Rogaland, 2 from Stavanger and 1 from Northern
Gudbrandsdalen). Van Dommelen treats these speakers as a single group
(Group I in Table 3–11). Of the remaining subjects, 12 had a “Trøndelag
background,” and 7 “spoke dialects from regions south of Trondheim.”
These 19 speakers were treated as one group (Group II in Table 3–11).
The duration of the vowel, the breathy part of the aspiration, the preaspiration
proper and the closure were measured. Van Dommelen’s results
are given in Table 3–11.
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