Possible phonological changes (was: Rate of change)

[Eduard Selleslagh]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gabor Sandi" <g_sandi at hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 3:43 PM

[snip]

> Since in many varieties of Argentinian Spanish (as well as in Chile and
> Uruguay), the phonetic realizations of orthographic <y> and <ll> are also
> [Z], do these examples imply that there are varieties of Spanish where lluvia
> 'rain' and rubia 'blonde' are homophones, pronounced as ['ZuBya]? Same for
> callo 'corn (on foot)' and carro 'cart, car', both [kaZo]?

[Ed Selleslagh]

As far as I know, the rr > Z territory (mainly (sub-)Andean Argentina, Mendoza
etc.) and the y, ll > Z (or often S) (around the Mar del Plata and wide
surroundings) do not really overlap, but I may be mistaken. Rick McCallister
would be a better source.

Anyway, among themselves, y and ll give rise to a lot of homophones, even in
standard Castilian: calló/cayó (he shut up/ he fell) etc...A bit more
wouldn't be all that problematic to native speakers, especially because to the
trained ear there is a slight difference between Z from rr and
Argentinian/Uruguayan Z from y or ll. The Z from rr often sounds like the
pronuciation of someone who cannot reproduce a rolling r correctly, or as a
more strongly voiced American r with a shade of Z.

Ed.