On the allophony of /ʀ/ in Tyrolean

Method and data from a preliminary ultrasound articulatory analysis

Abstract

Moving from traditional dialectological literature and inspired by contemporary research on rhotics, in this paper we present preliminary data on the distribution and the articulation of /ʀ/ in Tyrolean, an under-researched South Bavarian dialect. Two speakers produced a comprehensive selection of Tyrolean words containing /ʀ/. Overall, they uttered up to five different uvular rhotics: [χ, ʁ, ʁ̞, ρ, ʀ]. We found mild tendencies in the allophonic distribution of the variants, but systematic differences in their lingual configurations: trills are produced steep lowering the tongue tip; vocalizations are markedly lowered and retracted, with the tongue dorsum flat; approximants are retracted.