<OT> The alternation between the flap /r/ and the fricative /z/

[Kathryn Tippetts]

Regarding the /r/ - dental fricative alternation:

The /r/ in French is not a flap either(cf non-rhotic dialects of English),
it is generally uvular, but there was a time in the history of French where
it became fashionable to replace r's with a dental fricative.  For example,
instead of Paris [pari], it was Pazis [pazi].  Some of the changes effected
were never returned to the original, although most were.  An example of this
is the word for chair, "chaise."  There is an r in the English word because
it was borrowed from French before the change from /r/ to /z/.  But modern
French has retained the /z/ form.

Thought this might be of interest to you.  Don't hesitate to contact me
personally if you would like more info.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Tippetts

ktippett@indiana.edu




----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee, Amy P" <aplee@essex.ac.uk>
To: <optimal@ling.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2003 2:06 PM
Subject: <OT> The alternation between the flap /r/ and the fricative /z/


> Dear all,
>
> We would like to raise a question about the alternation of the two
segments: flap /r/ and the dental fricative /z/ occurring in a Formosan
language--Kavalan (the Austronesian family).
>    The two dialects, one spoken in Hsin-she (the dialect H) and the other
one spoken in Chang-yuan (the dialect C), displays the alternation in
question.  The two segments are both phonemic and heard in the two dialects.
Some examples are as follows:
>    Dialect H Dialect C Gloss
>    zapan rapan foot and leg
>    zau rau this
>    muzan muran rain
>    qaniz qanir all
>
> (Data taken from Chang, Y.L. (1997) Voice, Case and Agreement in Seediq
and Kavalan, Ph.D. thesis, Hsinchu: National Tsing-hua University.)
>
> A similar alternation is also found in Non-rhotic English (e.g. British
English), where names such as Barry, Terry, are shortened as Baz, Tez,
because /r/ cannot occur at coda position. (Though the /r/ in English is not
flap)
>
> We would like to ask:
> (a) whether anyone had suggestions about how this alternation came about
in two completely different languages and
> (b) whether anyone know of any other similar cases in other disparate
languages.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Wyn Johnson (wyn@essex.ac.uk)
> Amy Peijung Lee (aplee@essex.ac.uk)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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