Processes in Danish Processes in Danish spoken languagespoken language

– and differences between older – and differences between older and younger Copenhagen speechand younger Copenhagen speech

Marc Daniel Skibsted Volhardt

The informantsThe informants• Both informants are from the greater Copenhagen

area.

• The younger voice belongs to a woman who speaks with a typical accent of younger people from the capital area.

• The older voice belongs to a man who speaks typical older version, closer to the traditional “High Copenhagen” sociolect.

• And myself: maximum distinctive pronunciation

Vowel length before Vowel length before consonantal vocoidsconsonantal vocoids

• A vocoid is a sound produced with no obstruction through the vocal tract.

• In Danish we find the following consonantal vocoids:– [ɪ̯'] from syllable final /-j/ or /-ɡ/: jeg ‘I’

– [ʊ̯'] from syllable final /-v/ or /-ɡ/ or /-j/: lav ‘low’

– [ɐ̯'] from syllable final /-r/: fjor ‘last year’

– [ð̞0] from syllable final /-d/: sød ‘sweet’

Vowel length before consonantal vocoidsVowel length before consonantal vocoids– – older speakerolder speaker

røvernes »the burglars’« – [ˈʁœːvɐ̯nəs] ([v]!)

Vowel length before consonantal vocoidsVowel length before consonantal vocoids– – younger speakeryounger speaker

røvernes »the burglars’« – [ˈʁœwɐ̯nəs]

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]

• In younger Copenhagen Danish the ‘soft d’ is outstandingly velarised, thus further narrowly transcribed as [ð̞0ˠ].

• This velarisation affects especially front high and mid high vowels. For example, [i] sounds rounded, [y], or rather centralised, [ɨ].

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]– – my own max. dist. pronunciationmy own max. dist. pronunciation

side ‘side’ – [ˈsiːð̞ə]

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]– – my own max. dist. pronunciationmy own max. dist. pronunciation

tidligere ‘earlier’ – [ˈtˢið̞lijˀəʁə]

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]– – older speakerolder speaker

tidligere ‘earlier’ – [ˈtˢið̞0liːˀɐ̯]

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]– – younger speakeryounger speaker

side ‘side’ – [ˈsVð̞0ˠð̞0ˠ̩ ]

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]– – computer generated vowelscomputer generated vowels

Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]Vowel quality before velarised [ð̞ ˠ]– – the formantsthe formants

Half vowel deletionHalf vowel deletion

• The following examples show how the “half vowel” [j] is deleted between a vowel and a schwa, [ə], in younger but not in older Copenhagen Standard Danish

No half vowel deletionNo half vowel deletion– – older speaker older speaker

lige (under) ‘right (under)’ – [ˈliːjə]

Half vowel deletion presentHalf vowel deletion present– – younger speaker younger speaker

lige (over) ‘right (above)’ – [ˈliːi]

Thanks for listeningThanks for listening

(here are all the lengths and schwas we lost)

ːə

ː

ː

ːː ːː

ː

ː ːə

ə

ə

ə

ə

əə ə

əə

əː

ː

ː