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