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

closure gesture. As the escape channel is being closed, air velocity increases
and friction is unavoidably created at the place of the closure.
However, the duration of this friction is sometimes far greater that can be
justified by seeing it as a mere by-product of the closure gesture.
Third, a fricative with a place of articulation corresponding roughly
with the place of maximal dorsal constriction in the vowel is produced. If
the vowel is front and close, the friction will be palatal. If the vowel is
open and central or back (e.g., [] or []) one often observes (both auditorily
and in spectral analysis) uvular friction, sometimes combined with
a pharyngeal stricture. If such a stricture is made, it tends to be maintained
throughout much of the production of the preaspiration, and appears
to be a way of enhancing the otherwise weak glottal friction.
To designate any of these types as a typical or representative preaspiration
production of preaspiration in Tórshavn Faroese would be misleading.
The different sources of variation interact to produce various results,
many of which are illustrated below.
s x h e
Figure 4–46. Subj. EI: .skatturinn
e[r…] ‘The treasure is…’
– 162 –
m ç
Figure 4–47. Subj. BJ: […er] mitt
[úti…] ‘…is in the middle…’
A common pronunciation for a sequence of an open vowel and a
dental fortis stop involves a vocalic interval, an interval of breathiness or
aspiration, an interval of friction originating at the stop’s place of articulation,
and finally a stop closure. Such a sequence is depicted in Figure
4–46. As glottal abduction is initiated during the production of the vowel
([]), the amplitude in the upper reaches of the vowel spectrum dimin-