Abstract:

An acoustic study of novel allophonic and phonemic phenomena in the isolate language Basque is presented. The focus is on speakers of the Biscayan dialect. First, Basque shows a spirantization process by which voiced plosives are produced as approximants, particularly intervocalically. Interestingly, we find that Basque /ld/ sequences, where spirantization is not expected [Hualde (1991) Basque Phonology], are realized as a lateral approximant followed by a voiced lateral fricative. Second, in this variety of Basque, the historical three-way contrast among sibilants (two alveolars and one postalveolar) has been reduced to a two-way distinction. The original contrast, still found in other varieties, between a laminal alveolar and an apical alveolar has merged with different results depending on the continuancy of the sibilants. Third, Basque presents a contrast between trill and flap intervocalically. However, elsewhere this is neutralized, and the precise realization of this segment varies from trill to frication. Finally, the Basque five-vowel inventory allows for almost any sequence of two vowels. The same vowel sequence might be a diphthong (tautosyllabic) or a hiatus (heterosyllabic) depending on the lexical item. That is, diphthongs and hiatus are contrastive. [Submitted for the student paper competition.]