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

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

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1. South Saami (Sou<strong>the</strong>rn & Ume Saami)<br />

2. North Saami (Nor<strong>the</strong>rn, Pite & Lule Saami)<br />

3. Skolt Saami<br />

4. Kola Saami (Ter & Kild<strong>in</strong> Saami)<br />

5. Inari Saami<br />

Apart from Inari Saami, all of <strong>the</strong> Saami languages have preaspirated<br />

stops. As <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Nordic</strong> <strong>and</strong> Celtic languages, preaspirated stops generally<br />

emerge as a reflex of older long stops. However, unlike Nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />

Germanic <strong>and</strong> Celtic languages, preaspiration <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Saami languages<br />

does not reflect a dist<strong>in</strong>ction between Proto-Saami fortis <strong>and</strong> lenis stops,<br />

s<strong>in</strong>ce Proto-Saami had no such dist<strong>in</strong>ction. Instead, an older dist<strong>in</strong>ction<br />

between short <strong>and</strong> long stops is now often reflected as a dist<strong>in</strong>ction<br />

between unaspirated <strong>and</strong> preaspirated stops (Hansson 1997:149f). Ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

feature of most Saami languages is consonant gradation. Reconstruction<br />

suggests that consonant gradation resulted <strong>in</strong> overlong stops at<br />

one time, which have become preaspirated <strong>in</strong> most Saami languages.<br />

With regard to <strong>the</strong> phonological distribution of preaspiration <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Saami<br />

languages, it is practical to discuss separately <strong>the</strong> development of <strong>the</strong><br />

Proto-Saami stop quantity contrast on <strong>the</strong> one h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> overlong<br />

stops that come about through consonant gradation on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

In simplified terms, one can say that <strong>in</strong> all Saami languages except<br />

Kola Saami <strong>and</strong> Inari Saami <strong>the</strong> Proto-Saami stop quantity contrast is<br />

reflected as an unaspirated (short) vs. preaspirated (long) stop. 1 The phonetic<br />

realisation of <strong>the</strong> preaspiration <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se stops varies. Information for<br />

Sou<strong>the</strong>rn <strong>and</strong> Ume Saami is so scarce that no description can be offered.<br />

In Nor<strong>the</strong>rn, Pite <strong>and</strong> Lule Saami, preaspiration duration seems to differ<br />

between dialects, <strong>and</strong> is variously described (impressionistically) as [],<br />

[h] <strong>and</strong> [h], depend<strong>in</strong>g on dialect <strong>and</strong> phonological context (cf. Hansson<br />

1997:151f; cit<strong>in</strong>g Sammallahti 1971, 1977, Ravila 1932 <strong>and</strong> Itkonen<br />

1971). For Skolt Saami, Korhonen (1973:18; cited <strong>in</strong> Hansson 1997:156)<br />

uses [] to denote preaspiration. Skolt Saami data provided by<br />

McRobbie-Utasi (1999) will be discussed below.<br />

1 This sweep<strong>in</strong>g generalisation ignores <strong>the</strong> fact that to a large extent <strong>the</strong> Proto-Saami<br />

short stops have been lenited <strong>and</strong> are reflected as voiced fricatives.<br />

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