Preaspiration

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In phonetics, preaspiration is a period of voicelessness or aspiration preceding the closure of a voiceless obstruent,[1] basically equivalent to an [h]-like sound preceding the obstruent. In other words, when an obstruent is preaspirated, the glottis is opened for some time before the obstruent closure.[2] To mark preaspiration using the International Phonetic Alphabet, the diacritic for regular aspiration ([ʰ]) can be placed before the preaspirated consonant. (However, Ladefoged and Maddieson[3] prefer to use a simple cluster notation, e.g. [hk] instead of [ʰk].)

Contents

[edit] Typology

Preaspiration is comparatively uncommon across languages of the world,[4] and is claimed by some to not be phonemically contrastive in any language. [5] Ladefoged and Maddieson[3] note that, at least in the case of Icelandic, preaspirated stops have a longer duration of aspiration than normally aspirated (post-aspirated) stops, comparable to clusters of [h]+consonant in languages with such clusters. As a result, they view preaspiration as purely a distributional feature, indistinguishable phonetically and phonologically from clusters with [h], and prefer to notate preaspirated stops as clusters, e.g. Icelandic kappi [ˈkʰahpi] "hero" in place of [ˈkʰaʰpi].

A distinction is often made between so-called normative and non-normative preaspiration: in a language with normative preaspiration of certain voiceless obstruents, the preaspiration is obligatory even though it is not a distinctive feature; in a language with non-normative preaspiration, the preaspiration can be phonetically structured for those who use it, but it is non-obligatory, and may not appear with all speakers.[6][7] Preaspirated consonants are typically in free variation with spirant-stop clusters, though they may also have a relationship (synchronically and diachronically) with long vowels or [s]-stop clusters.[8]

Preaspiration can take a number of different forms; while the most usual is glottal friction (an [h]-like sound), the precise phonetic quality can be affected by the obstruent or the preceding vowel, becoming for example [ç] after close vowels;[9] other potential realizations include [x][8] and even [f].[10]

Preaspiration is very unstable both synchronically and diachronically and is often replaced by a fricative or by a lengthening of the preceding vowel.[11]

[edit] Distribution

Preaspiration is perhaps best known from North Germanic languages, most prominently in Icelandic and Faroese. It is also a prominent feature of Scottish Gaelic.

It occurs in some dialects of Norwegian and Swedish as well as, Halh Mongolian, some Sami languages, and in several American Indian languages, including dialects of Cree, Ojibwe, Fox, Hopi[12][13][14][15] and Purepecha.

[edit] Examples

[edit] Faroese

Some examples of preaspirated plosives from Faroese (where they occur only after stressed vowels):

  • klappa [ˈkʰlaʰpa], 'clap'
  • hattur [ˈhaʰtʊɹ], 'hat'
  • takka [ˈtʰaʰka], 'thank'

[edit] Icelandic

Some examples of preaspirated plosives from Icelandic (where they occur only after stressed vowels):[16]

  • kappi [ˈkʰaʰpi], 'hero'
  • hattur [ˈhaʰtʏr], 'hat'
  • þakka [ˈθaʰka] ( listen), 'thank'

[edit] Huautla Mazatec

In Huautla Mazatec, preaspirates can occur word-initially, perhaps uniquely among languages which contain preaspirates:[17]

  • [ʰti] - 'fish'
  • [ʰtse] - 'a sore'
  • [ʰtʃi] - 'small'
  • [ʰka] - 'stubble'

[edit] Scottish Gaelic

In Scottish Gaelic, however, due to the historical loss of voiced stops preaspiration is phonemic in medial and final positions after stressed vowels.[18]

The approximate distribution of preaspiration in Gaelic dialects

Its strength varies from area to area can manifest itself ([ʰ] or [h]) or in areas with strong preaspiration as [ç] or [x]. The occurrence of preaspiration follows a hierarchy of c > t > p; i.e. if a dialect has preaspiration with /pʰ/, it will also have it in the other places of articulation. Preaspiration manifests itself as follows:[19]

  • Area 1 as [xk xt xp] and [çkʲ çtʲ çp]
  • Area 2 as [xk xt hp] and [çkʲ çtʲ hp]
  • Area 3 as [xk ht hp] and [çkʲ htʲ hp]
  • Area 4 as [ʰk ʰt ʰp]
  • Area 5 as [xk] and [çkʲ] (no preaspiration of t and p)
  • Area 6 no preaspiration

There are numerous minimal pairs:

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Silverman (2003:575)
  2. ^ Stevens & Hajek (2004:334)
  3. ^ a b Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996)
  4. ^ Silverman (2003:592)
  5. ^ Tronnier (2002:33)
  6. ^ Gordeeva & Scobbie (2007:?)
  7. ^ McRobbie-Utasi (2003:1)
  8. ^ a b Silverman (2003:593)
  9. ^ Stevens & Hajek (2004:334–35)
  10. ^ McRobbie-Utasi (1991:77)
  11. ^ Silverman (2003:592, 595)
  12. ^ Rießler (2004:?)
  13. ^ McRobbie-Utasi (1991:?)
  14. ^ McRobbie-Utasi (2003)
  15. ^ Svantesson (2003:?)
  16. ^ Silverman (2003:582)
  17. ^ Silverman (2003:590–91)
  18. ^ Borgstrøm, C. The Dialects of the Outer Hebrides (1940) Norsk Tidskrift for Sprogvidenskap
  19. ^ Ó Dochartaigh, C. Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland I-V Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (1997) ISBN 1-85500-165-9

[edit] References

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