LL-L "Phonology" 2003.04.10 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 10.APR.2003 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * admin at lowlands-l.net * Encoding: Unicode UTF-8
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.htm
Posting Address: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archive: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
=======================================================================

From: Kevin McAuliff <kevin_mcauliff at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Phonology" 2003.04.09 (04) [E]

In reference to aspiration of consonants,  it would be interesting to note
that aspiration seems less pronounced in the American SE than in the North.
A co-worker of mine, evidently remarking on the phenomenon, once said, "I'm
so country, I suck in air when I talk."

Kevin McAuliff, Northwest Georgia

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Thanks, Kevin.  Yes, I have noticed that in Southern Appalachian varieties,
for instance, even initial aspiration tends to be weak, albeit perhaps not
absent.

I also seem to perceive weak, if not absent, aspiration in Scots.  Is that
correct?  What about Scottish English?

As far as English of England is concerned, most varieties have strong
aspiration, one of the most striking features in comparison with North
American English.  In some dialects, aspiration is so strong that it has led
to africatization of /t/ (-> [t_s], e.g., <better> ['bEt_s3`]).  This
phenomenon is also found in Danish (e.g., <ti> [t_si|] 'ten'), and in
farwestern Mandarin dialects (on Tibetan and Altaic substrates) it is so
strong that it affects all aspirated stops: /p/ -> [p_f\] (with a bilabial
f), /t/ -> [t_s], /k/ -> [k_C] ~ [k_x].

I believe that English varieties of Australia and New Zealand tend to have
strong initial and weak (probably not absent) non-initial aspiration, thus
are not all that different from American English and Lowlands Saxon (Low
German) in this regard.

South African English tends to have weak or no aspiration, most likely due
to Afrikaans influence.

Folks, this may be a bit simplistic, but by and large it seems to me that
among the European Continental Lowlands language varieties the Saxon ones
tend toward having moderate to strong initial aspiration, while the
Franconian ones tend to have no (or weak) aspiration, neither of them
aspirating word-internally.  I believe that only farwestern Lowlands Saxon
varieties, i.e., those bordering Lowlands Franconian, have weak or no
aspiration.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

================================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
 =======================================================================