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

these examples are roughly as indicated above, ranging from approximately
30–60 ms. In both figures, the echo in stop closures from a
preceding vowel is quite marked. Note particularly the strong echo given
off by the mid open vowel at the onset of Figure 4–63, which continues
well into the stop’s closure phase.
As Faroese, Gräsö preaspirations assimilate to their surroundings.
For example, in Figures 4–56, 4–57 and 4–59 the preaspiration is
coloured, in some degree, by the place of articulation of the following
stop closure. In Figures 4–56 and 4–57, only the final portion of the preaspiration
is produced with such friction. In Figure 4–59, the velar friction
is motivated by the fact that both the preceding vowel and the following
stop closure have velar components. To this is added the labiality
of the preceding vowel. In Figure 4–58, where a mid front unrounded
vowel is followed by a dental stop, there is no apparent friction of this
kind. Looking at Figures 4–56 through 4–59, one can also observe that
there is no postaspiration present in these stops but only a release noise.
As Faroese and the Western Åland dialect, there is a tendency for
stops to be produced without full stop closure, which leads to friction. In
the Gräsö data, this is quite noticeable in the speech of FJ, but occurs to a
much lesser extent in the speech of AM and JM. One example of this
type is given in Figure 4–61.
k e
Figure 4–64. Subj. JM: .[…alldeles] grönt de[t.] ‘…absolutely green it (was)…’
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