Phonetic analyses in two Lombard Alpine dialects

A comparison of spontaneous and controlled speech

Authors

  • Camilla Bernardasci Phonogrammarchiv, Università di Zurigo
  • Stefano Negrinelli Romanisches Seminar, Università di Zurigo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17469/O2104AISV000006

Keywords:

Lombard dialects, spontaneous speech, controlled speech, palatal obstruents, stressed mid front vowels

Abstract

This study compares results obtained from analyses of spontaneous and controlled speech in the dialects of Cavergno and Olivone, two small villages situated in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. In Cavergno, the contrast between the voiceless palatal plosive [c] and the voiceless palato-alveolar affricate [ʧ] was studied using the ‘center of gravity’ (CoG) as an acoustic correlation of the place of articulation. In Olivone, we focused on the contextual distribution of the mid front vowels ([e] in paroxytone words, [ɛ] in oxytone words). Thanks to the collaboration of six informants (three in each village), data from a sample of spontaneous speech and from a questionnaire of controlled speech were collected for both locations to verify if spontaneous speech, unlike controlled speech, could detect an incipient language change.

Published

31-12-2018