LL-L "Phonology" 2005.02.23 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 23.FEB.2005 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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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)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Dear Lowlanders,

I recently wrote about preaspiration:

<quote>
This is interesting phonologically as well if _Schachtel_ indeed comes from
or is derived from a cognate of Gothic _skattula_.  The /x/ (<ch>) would
point to pre-aspiration (one of my pet phenomena, occurring sporadically in
a few languages, such as Icelandic, Turkic Yughur of China, and Scottish
Gaelic -- also in certain dialects of Saami apparently).  This is how it
works: aspiration (a "h" puff) of a following stop consonant (p, t, k) moves
("leftward") before the stop, thus resulting in what some call an "aspirated
vowel," in many cases where the stop is long (usually due to gemination),
here supposedly _skattula_ *[skat:_hula] -> *[skaht:ula].  If this is true
in the case of _Schachtel_, we'd have to assume that this was not a native
German word but a loan from a preaspirating language variety.  Even though
aspiration applied in at least some Old German dialects, I am not aware of a
tendency toward preaspiration, and, if there had been, I don't see why this
should be orthographically represented only in this particular word.
</quote>

Here is a little more about this, which I am providing in hopes of
identifying Lowlands varieties that preaspirate.

Preaspiration – a relatively rare phenomenon – is mostly found in the Ural
Mountain region, in Northern Asia (and parts of Central Asia) as well as
throughout the Americas. It is most common in Uralic and Mongolic languages
with some spread to Eastern Turkic languages used in close proximity of
Mongolic; e.g., Turkic Yughur ("Yellow Uighur," of Gansu, China):

/ad/ [at] 'name'
/at/ [axt/ 'horse'

In Scottish Gaelic (which has final devoicing), preaspiration occurs
primarily with final voiceless stops; e.g.,

ad [at] 'aide'
at [aht] ~ [axt] 'to swell'

cuthag ["khuhak] 'cuckoo'
currac ["khur:ahk] ~ ["khur:axk] 'cowl'

mag [mak] 'to scoff'
mac [mahk] ~ [maxk] 'son'

gog [gOk] 'cackle'
goc [gOhk] ~ [gOxk]  'cock (of a vessel)'

pòg [phO:k] 'kiss'
pòk [phO:hk] ~ [phO:xk] 'to pocket'

sèab [SE:ap] 'to sneak' (var.)
sèap [SE:ahp] ~ [SE:axp] 'to sneak' (var.)

sliob [Sl'Op] 'to stroke'
sliop [Sl'Ohp] ~ [Sl'Oxp] '(blubber) lip'

leag [l'ak] 'to drop'
leac [l'ahk] ~ [l'axk] 'slab', 'hearth'

lod [L\Ot] 'load'
lot [L\Oht] ~ [L\Oxt] 'lot'

stob [stOp] 'stake', 'splinter'
stop [stOhp] ~ [stOxp] 'stop'

trog [trOk] 'to lift' 'to take'
troc [trOhk] ~ [trOxk] 'trash'

Thus, in Scottish Gaelic there is no neutralization in such cases, while for
instance there is in Dutch, which has final devoicing but no aspiration at
all; e.g.,

dood [do:t] 'dead'
doot [do:t] 'dice'

If Dutch had aspiration and preaspiration these would be pronounced *[do:t]
and *[do:ht] ~ *[do:xt] respectively.

In Modern Icelandic, preaspiration applies in cases of two or more adjacent
consonants of which the first is an underlyingly voiceless stop; e.g.,

epli ["ehplI] 'apple'
keppni ["chehpnI] 'competition'
dottir ["dOxtIr] 'daughter'

Some seem to believe that Old Norse, too, had preaspiration. Preaspiration
also occurs in Scandinavia, such as in some Norwegian and Swedish dialects.
It occurs in Saami ("Lapp") under similar conditions; e.g., /bapppa/ _bappa_
["bahp:a] 'priest'.

Some have suggested that preaspiration entered Northern Germanic from Saami
(a group of Uralic varieties) and that preaspiration was introduced to
Scottish Gaelic from Old Norse.  If so, I would expect some Scots and
Northern English dialects (namely those that have final devoicing) to have
received this rule from Old Norse also, or from Gaelic.  Are there any such
dialects?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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