10.103, Sum: Danish phonology

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-10-103. Fri Jan 22 1999. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 10.103, Sum: Danish phonology

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1)
Date:  Fri, 22 Jan 1999 14:18:30 +0100 (MET)
From:  Julian Bradfield <jcb at daimi.au.dk>
Subject:  Danish phonology

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 22 Jan 1999 14:18:30 +0100 (MET)
From:  Julian Bradfield <jcb at daimi.au.dk>
Subject:  Danish phonology

A couple of months ago, I posted a query about descriptions of Danish
phonology, and in particular the front vowels and soft <d>.  With
apologies for the delay, here is the summary.

On descriptions, "George Hinge" <oldgh at hum.aau.dk> suggested the
introduction to Lars Brink, Den store danske udtaleordbog, Munksgaard
1991; Carolyn Sobel <NUCCPS at Hofstra.edu> mentioned her dissertation A
Generative Phonology of Danish; and Henrik Jrgensen
<norhj at hum.aau.dk> gave the following list of comprehensive resources:

Steffen Heger: Sprog og lyd, Copenhagen 1981.
Nina Grnnum [recent title from Akademisk Forlag, Copenhagen, not yet
received]
Basbll & Wagner: Kontrastive Phonologie des Daenischen und des
Deutschen.


On the question of unrounded front vowels, George Hinge, who describes
his pronunciation as rather conservative "standard", says he
distinguishes no fewer than six heights:

  I distinguish in the same context, i.e. /__<(g)er, re(r)>: /i:/
  tiger fire, /e:/ eger (oak-boats) flere, /e^:/ laeger laere(r), /ae:/
  kager, /ae:^/ faerre, /a:/ fare. The short vowels are fewer, /r__C:
  /i/ trist, /ae/ frist kringle, /ae^/ rest kraeft graense traette
  (developing into /a/), /a/ rast kraft, and without <r>: /i/ tisse
  rille kigge, /e/ pisse pille fedt, /e^/ laesse faelde taet, /ae/ masse
  falde mat, and before <p, k> /a/ tak lap.

He says this is an unstable system in transition.

Supporting this, Henrik Jrgensen says:

  The pronunciation of 'e', 'ae' and 'a' in front of and after 'r' is a
  complicated matter. Whereas vowels tend to occupy a much more narrow
  space in younger generations than in older ones, the corresponding
  phonemes in contact with 'r' are regularly opened. Among the younger
  generations, the phonemic distinction /e/ : /ae/ : /a/ is extinct after
  /r/. There are many variations, also on a -lect base.


As for the soft <d>, the common factor of the replies is that it is
rather difficult to describe or classify!
Henrik Jrgensen says:

  Post-vocalic /ed/ ("soft 'd'", not the same phoneme as /d/, in spite of
  Hjelmslev and others) is difficult to classify within conventional
  pnonetic notation. Sometimes the term 'approximant' has been used, but
  Basbll and Wagner assume that it is just a semi-vowel. It is certainly
  not a lateral, but my experience with foreign learners is that a plain
  [l] may do the job. No native speaker would feel satisfied, though.
  There is definitely no opening between the sides of the tongue and the
  teeth, and no closure in front, rather contact at the sides and opening
  in front.


Thanks to all respondents.

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