Galician-Asturian - Phonetic System

Phonetic System

Vowels:

• Tonic vowels. The system of tonic vowels is similar to Galician, since there are 7 of these vowels in both languages. This information was used by Menéndez Pidal when he assigned this language to the group of Galician-Portuguese Languages This system is very stable, overlooking the alterations that can be observed by effects of metaphony in other regions of Galician phonetics.

• Initial unstressed vowels. As was indicated by García García regarding unstressed vowels, "Unlike other areas of Galician phonetics, there aren't relevant differences between open and closed -e- and -o- and can be considered the sound of variant pairs, each with their own archiphonemes, keeping The following system: -i-, E-, a,-O-, u.

• Final unstressed vowels. There are three unstressed vowels in final position: -e-,-o-and-a -. There is the loss of the -o endings -ene and -inu, ‘sen’, ‘fren’, ‘centen’, 'allén', ‘padrín’, ‘camín’... Is an overall conservation "-e" syllables end, after ‘-ete’ and ‘ite’ headquarters, 'rede', 'vide', 'parede', etc. .. clearer still in place names ‘San Mamede’, ‘Nonide’, ‘Taladride’. It is also normal to have conservation “-e” after “θ”, like in ‘couce, 'fouce', etc. On the other hand has been lost under the influence of Castilian, ‘salú’, ‘verdá’, ‘enfermedá’. The paragogic vowel -e- after liquids consonant appear very residually, Acevedo y Huelves cite ‘carcele’. The final vowel -o- has disappeared in suffix -elo, in toponyms: ‘Tol’, ‘Castropol’, ‘Boal’, etc.

• Nasal vowels. Until 19th century, nasal vowels was there fairly common phenomenon throughout Eonaviego, however as of today is a very unusual. Damaso Alonso was the first in confirming this phenomenon, widespread in nearby Ancares Mountains. M. Menéndez García finds nasality remains in Freixulfe and points in Villallón Village, y Celso Muñiz in the Valledor region, in the frontier with the Asturo-leonese languages. These remnants of nasal vowels in the Eonavian language explain that in this language the syllables ended in nasal coda are always opened, necessary consequence of these sounds velarization, stage prior to the formation of vocalism nasal.

• Change ringing in unstressed vowels when enclitic position absolute with labial consonant and vowel assimilation. * Unstressed vowels in initial position. Regarding the unstressed vowels, as pointed out by García García "Unlike other areas of the Galaicofonía, there are relevant differences between-e-y-o-open and closed sounds can be considered such as variants of two separate couples archiphoneme, keeping The following system-i-, E-, a,-O-, u.

• Achievements of nasal vowels and vowel lengthening. As is clearly evident by García García the nasalization of vowels preceding tonic or atonic to ensure –n- in coda “tamen”, or situated between nasal consonants “mañá”. Vowel lengthening occurs as a result by contractions: "vou à casa" or by compensation as a result of the loss of intervocalic nasal "machacan a 'llá/lá", "Que mañá' nos traiga un bó día de solín". This extension is also in the case of concomitant vowels, for o highlight the article, like occurs in the proverb "A terra que da á ortiga".

Diphthongs:

• a) Falling diphthong: 'couto', 'souto', 'cantou', 'deitou', 'cantei'...
• b) Anticipation of the “yod”, like: 'naide', 'coiro', 'agoiro', 'cadeira'...
• c) Absence of nasal diphthong to end this noted by Menendez Garcia as one of the benchmark isoglosses the speeches and Asturleonesas Galaicas.

Semivowels

• a) Wau'' Unlike Galician-Portuguese and Portuguese, the Eonavian like Galician tends to the abolition of semiconsonants, although it has evolved its own evolution, linked to treatment of nasality, such as the relative articles ‘condo’, ‘contó’ or the toponyms 'Sayane' (Saint John) and the names 'Xan'(John, 'Xanón' (Big John) etc…
• b) Yod: In Eonaviego as in the rest of the Galaicofonía tends to anticipatory assimilation, although today, both Eonaviego and Gallego have a strong influence of the Castilian, in both cases this process does not extend beyond the influence by him. Examples: 'naide', 'beizo', 'coiro', 'caldeiro', 'ribeira', etc...

Nasal consonants:

• a) Lost intervocalic vowels. This fact is the argument of greater weight to who are opposed to the theory of continuum Astur-Galician, precisely because there is the curious fact that this phenomenon is accentuated in the municipalities close to the probable Eonaviegos West following a north-south trend is started in Portugal. This fact is manifested in the formation of plurals, on increases in the training of women, but especially in the loss of the nasal-palatal.
• b) Velarization of nasal vowels and deformation due to n-falling. Dámaso Alonso, «Engañar, volar, casos y resultados de velariación de –n- en el dominio Gallego».
• c) Evolution of group Latin nn>n.
• d) Keeping of group -mb-.
• e) Simplification of the group m’l y m’n > m
• f) Lost of the Nasal-palatals, in diminutive feminine, vaquía, cousía, roupía, etc. and some masculines foucío, campío, en el sufijo -ieiro/a: cocieira, dieiro, mulieiro, etc.

Lateral consonants:

• a) Keeping intervocalic lateral consonants. Except in the counties more westerly is trend to the maintenance of intervocalic -l Should indicate that this is a recent phenomenon as in cartulary of Villanueva de Oscos Monastery the tendency to the disappearance of the intervocalic -l- is like the rest of the Galician-Portuguese languages.
• b) Palatalization of the initial lateral and degemination absence of the "-ll-" Latin. These uses today, we can see only half the territory, however, the examination of the Cartulary de Oscos confirm that this phenomenon was widespread in all Galician and Asturian counties from Eo and Navia. (See García Leal, "En los Albores del Asturiano (II). «La palatización de la -l- inicial en la documentación latina altomedieval del Reino Astur-leonés», (718-1037).
• c) Velarization the group "B'D" (cold, Dold, etc. ..), a phenomenon now very residual, totally unknown to Huelves Acevedo García García who reported "coldo" and "codo" but was widespread in the Oscos' cartulary.

Evolution of the Latin groups:

• a) Evolution -cl-, -pl- y -fl- to palatal dull sound. There is an agreement in this point with western Bable and Galician, since the “che vaqueira” tends to be more fricative(š) than affricate (ć).
• b) Evolution of the group -lt-, -ct- and -sc- to it and ix
• c) Evolution of the group dj, gj, gi, j, nj, li, gl to palatal
• d) Evolution of the group “ss” to palatal, dull fricative
• e) Evolution of the group gy, -dy-, -sc- to palatal dull fricative
• f)The liquid consonants after occlusives changed to vocalic sound: oculu>òyo, vetulu>vèyo, apicula>abeya, tegula>tèya, flagrare>cheirar, agru>eiro, cathedra>cadèira.

An other phenomenon itself :

• a) Slide to fricative sound occlusives sharper than Asturian even more than the Galician language: 'louxa', 'vixo', 'dexobado', 'xardía', 'broxa', 'xebrar', 'xastre', 'ameixola', 'èixola'.
• b) Palatalization to letter x.
• c) Distinction between palatals, fricatives and laterals. García García proposes following oppositions: 'callo' ('callar' verb), cayo ('caer' verb), rayo (meteorological phenomenon), rallo ('rallar' verb), etc.
• d) Neutralization of liquid pool, although this phenomenon is on the verge of disappearance.
• e) Keeping sound -f- Latin.
• f) Evolution geminate “ss” to fricative dull, lat. passaru> Eon. páxaro, Lat. bassare> Eon. baxar, etc.