Palatal sonorants in Portuguese-based creoles

The adaptation results of sounds across languages is a valuable source of information for their theoretical representation. Such research can be especially enlightening when complex or rare sounds are concerned. This study analyses the adaptation of Portuguese palatal sonorants to 19 Creole language...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Silva, Carlos|||0000-0002-8052-4271, Barcellos Granja, Fábio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:309974
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/309974
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/isogloss.444
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Portuguese-based creoles
Palatal sonorants
Complex segments
Descripción
Sumario:The adaptation results of sounds across languages is a valuable source of information for their theoretical representation. Such research can be especially enlightening when complex or rare sounds are concerned. This study analyses the adaptation of Portuguese palatal sonorants to 19 Creole languages. We assess the strategies used to replace /ʎ/ or /ɲ/, if the creole has no such consonants; and the constraints on their distribution, if the creole language has a palatal sonorant. The main purpose is to find potential clues to the structure of these consonants in Portuguese, concerning their substance and effects. The data is extracted from the APiCS (Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures) and other doculects. We found that creole speakers either use a phonological equivalent from their substrates [d͡ʒ ɟ] or dismantle the elements of the source consonants into separate features [l n j]. We conclude that the palatal sonorants should not be represented as phonological geminates, but rather as complex segments with a palatal autosegment. Furthermore, the differences in their adaptation suggest that these consonants may not share the same underlying structure.