Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...
Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ... Preaspiration in the Nordic Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic ...
In Area 2, where Tórshavn is situated, stops in VC syllables are voiceless unaspirated (and neither preaspirated nor postaspirated). Finally, in Area 3, stops in VC syllables are voiced. The Faroes Mykines 1 Streymoy Vágar 3 Suðuroy – 56 – Klaksvík Eysturoy 2 Tórshavn Sandoy Norðoyar 0 10 30 km Figure 3-1. The Faroe Islands. The broken lines indicate the main dialectal divisions in the production of Faroese VC syllables, where C is a reflex of ON p, t, k (further in text and in Table 3–3). The numbers refer to Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3 (see text). Based on Petersen (1994–5). It is difficult to explain away the disagreement between the earlier and the more recent descriptions, particularly the Area 1 distribution. Of course, it is possible that different dialects are being described, and that the pattern described in earlier accounts has disappeared. It is also possible that the earlier, impressionistic analyses are unreliable, but without access to the data on which the earlier analyses are based, such a claim cannot be evaluated. The data analysed in the present work may throw some light on the presence of preaspiration in Faroese VC syllables. Spontaneous speech from four Tórshavn subjects (SG, BJ, EI and MS) was analysed (see Ch. 4, section 4.3 for details), and since Tórshavn is situated in Area 2, one might expect the Area 2 distribution, i.e. voiceless unaspirated stops only.
Two out of the four subjects (EI and MS) behave entirely according to the Area 2 pattern. Thus they do not preaspirate stops in VC syllables, irrespective of vowel height, for example: [b] báti ‘boat (dat.),’ [m] mat ‘food (acc.),’ [e] eta ‘to eat’ and [ip] skip ‘ship.’ 1 One of the subjects (SG), behaves according to the Area 1 pattern, and so ON p, t, k are never reflected as preaspirated when they follow close vowels, but do tend to be preaspirated following other vowels. Thus, he says [bhn] bátin ‘the boat’ and [eha] eta ‘eat,’ but [vk] vík ‘bay’ and [lil] lykil ‘key.’ Lastly, one subject (BJ) behaves, in most respects, according to the Area 1 pattern. In her speech, though, [e] tends to block preaspiration, at least in the word [e] eta ‘to eat,’ which she produces 7 times and which never has a preaspirated stop. 2 For those speakers who have the Area 1 distribution of preaspiration (like SG), there is a phonological contrast between two stop series in VC syllables. This is apparent when one compares “native” words with loan words. An intervocalic stop in a word that derives from ON, e.g. eta ‘eat’ and gøta ‘street,’ is preaspirated. By contrast, a loan word may have an intervocalic stop that is voiceless unaspirated, e.g. sleta ‘sleigh’ and radar ‘radar.’ One may infer from this distinction that preaspiration in VC syllables is not an entirely new phenomenon in Faroese. A word like sleta, for example, which does not have a preaspirated stop, must have come into Faroese at a time when preaspiration in VC syllables was already normative. Otherwise, the stop in sleta would be preaspirated. Speakers who do not preaspirate in VC syllables (i.e., have the Area 2 distribution) make no such distinction, and therefore there is only one stop series 1 Since the data reported in this section reflect actual pronunciations in spontaneous speech data, they contain considerable variation in phonetic detail. Particularly, one should keep in mind that the individual words presented here are often taken out of their phonetic context. For example, the example [b] has a voiced bilabial stop in its onset since it was preceded by a voiced segment. Likewise, the difference in postaspiration between [m] and [ip] has to do with the fact that [m] is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, whereas [ip] is in utterance-final position. 2 Out of curiosity, I analysed some read speech material produced by BJ, and found that the stop in the word part -net- (found in various forms of the word internet) was usually preaspirated. Therefore one can not say that [e] generally blocks preaspiration in her speech. – 57 –
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In Area 2, where Tórshavn is situated, stops <strong>in</strong> VC syllables are voiceless<br />
unaspirated (<strong>and</strong> nei<strong>the</strong>r preaspirated nor postaspirated). F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>in</strong><br />
Area 3, stops <strong>in</strong> VC syllables are voiced.<br />
The Faroes<br />
Myk<strong>in</strong>es<br />
1<br />
Streymoy<br />
Vágar<br />
3<br />
Suðuroy<br />
– 56 –<br />
Klaksvík<br />
Eysturoy<br />
2<br />
Tórshavn<br />
S<strong>and</strong>oy<br />
Norðoyar<br />
0 10 30 km<br />
Figure 3-1. The Faroe Isl<strong>and</strong>s. The broken l<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong>dicate <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> dialectal<br />
divisions <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> production of Faroese VC syllables, where C is a reflex of<br />
ON p, t, k (fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> text <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> Table 3–3). The numbers refer to Area 1,<br />
Area 2 <strong>and</strong> Area 3 (see text). Based on Petersen (1994–5).<br />
It is difficult to expla<strong>in</strong> away <strong>the</strong> disagreement between <strong>the</strong> earlier<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> more recent descriptions, particularly <strong>the</strong> Area 1 distribution. Of<br />
course, it is possible that different dialects are be<strong>in</strong>g described, <strong>and</strong> that<br />
<strong>the</strong> pattern described <strong>in</strong> earlier accounts has disappeared. It is also possible<br />
that <strong>the</strong> earlier, impressionistic analyses are unreliable, but without<br />
access to <strong>the</strong> data on which <strong>the</strong> earlier analyses are based, such a claim<br />
cannot be evaluated.<br />
The data analysed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> present work may throw some light on <strong>the</strong><br />
presence of preaspiration <strong>in</strong> Faroese VC syllables. Spontaneous speech<br />
from four Tórshavn subjects (SG, BJ, EI <strong>and</strong> MS) was analysed (see Ch.<br />
4, section 4.3 for details), <strong>and</strong> s<strong>in</strong>ce Tórshavn is situated <strong>in</strong> Area 2, one<br />
might expect <strong>the</strong> Area 2 distribution, i.e. voiceless unaspirated stops<br />
only.
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