Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

In the period deemed “current” in this Handbook , theoretically committed studies of Spanish phonology have investigated a broad spectrum of language-particular phenomena, including but not limited to aspiration of /s/; cliticization; morphophonology of diminutivization; diphthongization of high and mid vowels; glide-vowel and glide-obstruent alternations; interpretation of early Spanish orthography; intonational discourse signals; liquid assimilation and vocalization; nasal assimilation, velarization, and deletion; distribution, structure, and depalatalization of palatal consonants; varieties and distribution of r -type segments; low-level vowel sandhi (reduction and deletion); phrasal stress; primary word stress; spirantization of voiced obstruents; syllabic effects in hypercorrection; text-to-music accommodation; voicing and continuancy assimilations of voiceless stops; vocalic height alternations; vowel and consonant epenthesis; vowel harmony/metaphony. Because of the richness and variety of these studies of Spanish, I have found it impossible to squeeze into the space allotted a comprehensive review from which, in my opinion, a substantive and durable contribution to our understanding of some aspect of phonology can be derived. Therefore, as an alternative to scattering my shots unproductively, I have chosen to concentrate on the one topic that has all but overwhelmed the ... log in or subscribe to read full text