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

ON flytja). There are no examples of tt, kk + j clusters. It is very probable,
however, that these clusters have developed in the same way as
have stops preceding close front vowels, which according to Ross are
produced as [hç], e.g. bhçin ‘the hill.’
There are three examples of k(k)r clusters. Two have preaspiration,
vhkrs ‘most beautiful’ and øhkr ‘your (pl.)’ The third example
has no preaspiration, kr ‘fields’ (the dative form, kre, is
also cited). Similarly, there is one example of a k(k)l cluster with preaspiration,
hk ‘ankle,’ 1 and one without preaspiration, yk ‘keys.’
The word pe ‘apple,’ without preaspiration, is the only example of a
p(p)l cluster. As for t(t)l clusters, Ross states that these are reflected as []
or [] 2 , but he provides no examples. From these meagre data we can
tentatively infer that for k(k) + r, l clusters, a distinction is made between
preaspirated and unaspirated variants—note that it is also possible to
have a voiced stop in such clusters, as in ‘the nails.’ However,
it is difficult to infer from these examples whether they reflect the ON
distinction between singleton and geminate stops.
ON t(t)n, k(k)n clusters are invariably reflected as preaspirated, as in
vh ‘the water,’ kvehk ‘come to life’ and rhe ‘rotten
(pl.)’ ON pn, however, is usually reflected as [f], e.g. f ‘to
open,’ and sometimes as unaspirated [p], e.g. p.
ON pt yields [f], e.g. øf ‘bought,’ but ON kt yields [hk], e.g.
yhk ‘thought.’ The evidence for preaspiration in ON ks clusters is
problematic, since the examples variably have preaspirated and unaspirated
stops. Thus we have, for example, vkse ‘grow’ and voks
‘grew’ as well as vhkse and vohks. Taken at face value, this suggests
that in the Gudbrandsdalen dialects, preaspiration on such clusters
is non-normative.
We turn now to voicelessness in sonorants before ON p, t, k. Judging
from the examples and comments provided by Ross and Hesselman, the
nasal in ON sequences of nasal + p, t, k is invariably reflected as voiced
1 One would expect a flap here, instead of the alveolar lateral, i.e. [hk]. In the
original, a flap is denoted with a and an alveolar lateral as a , so this may simply be
an oversight.
2 He transcribes these as and , which I interpret as a voiceless alveolar lateral
approximant and a voiceless palatal lateral approximant respectively.
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