Inphonetics,preaspiration (sometimes spelledpre-aspiration)[1] is a period ofvoicelessness oraspiration preceding the closure of a voicelessobstruent,[2] basically equivalent to an[h]-like sound preceding the obstruent. In other words, when an obstruent is preaspirated, theglottis is opened for some time before the obstruent closure.[3] To mark preaspiration using theInternational Phonetic Alphabet, the diacritic for regular aspiration, ⟨ʰ⟩, can be placed before the preaspirated consonant. However,Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996:70) prefer to use a simple cluster notation, e.g. ⟨hk⟩ instead of ⟨ʰk⟩.
Preaspiration is comparatively uncommon across languages of the world,[4] and is claimed by some to not bephonemicallycontrastive in any language.[5]Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996) note that, at least in the case ofIcelandic, preaspirated stops have a longer duration of aspiration than normally aspirated (post-aspirated) stops, comparable to clusters of[h]+consonant in languages with such clusters. As a result, they view preaspiration as purely a distributional feature, indistinguishable phonetically and phonologically from clusters with/h/, and prefer to notate preaspirated stops as clusters, e.g. Icelandickappi/ˈkʰahpi/ "hero" rather than/ˈkʰaʰpi/.
A distinction is often made between so-callednormative andnon-normative preaspiration: in a language with normative preaspiration of certain voiceless obstruents, the preaspiration is obligatory even though it is not a distinctive feature; in a language with non-normative preaspiration, the preaspiration can be phonetically structured for those who use it, but it is non-obligatory, and may not appear with all speakers.[6][7] Preaspirated consonants are typically in free variation withspirant-stop clusters, though they may also have a relationship (synchronically and diachronically) with long vowels or[s]-stop clusters.[8]
Preaspiration can take a number of different forms; while the most usual isglottalfriction (an[h]-like sound), the precise phonetic quality can be affected by the obstruent or the preceding vowel, becoming for example[ç] afterclose vowels;[9] other potential realizations include[x],[8] voiceless vowels, and even[f].[10]
Preaspiration is very unstable both synchronically and diachronically and is often replaced by a fricative or by a lengthening of the preceding vowel.[11]
Preaspiration is perhaps best known fromNorth Germanic languages, most prominently inIcelandic andFaroese, but also some dialects ofNorwegian andSwedish. It is also a prominent feature ofScottish Gaelic. The presence of preaspiration in Gaelic has been attributed to North Germanic influence.[12] Within Northwestern Europe preaspiration is furthermore found in mostSami languages, exceptInari Sami where it has been replaced by postaspiration.[13] The historical relationship between preaspiration in Sami and North Germanic is disputed: there is general agreement of a connection, but not on whether it represents Sami influence in North Germanic,[14][15] North Germanic influence in Sami,[16] or parallelsprachbund influence in both languages.[17]
Elsewhere in the world, preaspiration occurs inHalh Mongolian,Western Yugur, and in severalAmerican indigenous languages, including dialects ofHopi,[18][19][20][21]Purepecha, and many languages of theAlgonquian family (such asCheyenne,Cree,Ojibwe,Fox, andMiami–Illinois).
In certain accents, such asGeordie (among younger women)Watt & Allen (2003:268) and in some speakers ofDublin English[22] word- and utterance-final/p,t,k/ can be preaspirated.
Some examples of preaspiratedplosives andaffricates fromFaroese (where they occur only after stressed vowels):
Furthermore, the dialects ofVágar, northernStreymoy andEysturoy also have ungeminated preaspirated plosives and affricates (except after close vowels/diphthongs):
Some examples of preaspiratedplosives fromIcelandic:[23]
InHuautla Mazatec, preaspirates can occur word-initially, perhaps uniquely among languages which contain preaspirates:[24]
Preaspiration in the Sami languages occurs on word-medial voiceless stops and affricates of allplaces of articulation available:/p/,/t̪/,/t͡s/,/t͡ɕ/,/k/. In the Western Sami languages (Southern,Ume,Pite,Lule andNorthern) as well asSkolt Sami, preaspiration affects both long and half-long consonants; in most Eastern Sami languages (Akkala,Kildin andTer) only fully long consonants are preaspirated. This likely represents two waves of innovation: an early preaspiration of long consonants dating back toProto-Sami, followed by a secondary preaspiration of half-long consonants that originated in the Western Sami area and spread eastwards to Skolt Sami.[25]
In several Sami languages, preaspirated stops/affricates contrast with lax voiceless stops, either due to denasalization of earlier clusters (e.g. *nt >[d̥ː]) or in connection toconsonant gradation.
InScottish Gaelic, however, due to the historical loss of voiced stops preaspiration is phonemic in medial and final positions after stressed vowels.[26]
Its strength varies from area to area and can manifest itself as[ʰ] or[h] or in areas with strong preaspiration as[ç] or[x]. The occurrence of preaspiration follows a hierarchy of c > t > p; i.e. if a dialect has preaspiration with p, it will also have it in the other places of articulation. Preaspiration manifests itself as follows:[27]
There are numerous minimal pairs:
Although distinguishing preaspirated consonants from clusters of /h/ and a voiceless consonant can be difficult, the reverse does not hold: there are numerous languages such asArabic orFinnish where such clusters are unanimously considered to constitute consonant clusters.[citation needed]
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