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

voiced portion is often heavily fricated. Figure 4–70 shows an example
of a half-voiced flap. In effect, the production of such sequences involves
a fully voiced flap followed by an aspiration (i.e., [h]). The example in
Figure 4–70 can thus be transcribed quite accurately as [mh].
The production of rp and rk sequences is quite similar. Figure 4–71
has an example of an rk sequence. First, a voiced alveolar approximant is
produced, and then an aspiration. ON rt is reflected simply as a preaspirated
retroflex stop in the Gräsö dialect, as shown in the example in
Figure 4–72. In both examples of r + stop sequences the preaspiration is
fricated, but this should be interpreted as a correlate of the surrounding
articulations rather than as a feature of r + stop sequences.
Fortis stops + sonorant clusters are preaspirated like other fortis stops
in the Gräsö dialect. Examples of such clusters are given in Figures 4–73
through 4–76. Not all possible clusters are represented in the data. However,
all clusters present are preaspirated, both in VCC syllables (see,
e.g., Figure 4–73) and in VCC syllables (see Figure 4–74).
s e k s
Figure 4–77. Subj. JM: […än en]
sext[io…] ‘…than about sixty.’
– 177 –
k s
Figure 4–78. Subj. FJ: .lax [var…]
‘Salmon was…’
When a sibilant follows a stop in the Gräsö dialect, the stop is not
preaspirated. Examples of this are given in Figures 4–77 and 4–78. In
both cases a voiceless unaspirated velar stop is produced, reflecting an
ON x. The latter example has a great deal of echo that may, at first sight,
look like an aspirative noise, but in actual fact the occlusion phase is
quite silent. Note that CSw speakers who preaspirate do so in sequences