On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese

The aim of this article is to show that the raising of unstressed /e/ within a word is a very early feature of Portuguese, dating from the 13th century. In fact it can be shown that, independent of the assimilatory vocalic conditions mentioned by Herculano de Carvalho (1962), there was an early tend...

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Main Author: Maria José Carvalho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of A Coruña 2015-12-01
Series:Revista Galega de Filoloxía
Subjects:
Online Access:http://revistas.udc.es/index.php/rgf/article/view/rgf.2015.16.0.1378/623
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author Maria José Carvalho
author_facet Maria José Carvalho
author_sort Maria José Carvalho
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this article is to show that the raising of unstressed /e/ within a word is a very early feature of Portuguese, dating from the 13th century. In fact it can be shown that, independent of the assimilatory vocalic conditions mentioned by Herculano de Carvalho (1962), there was an early tendency for /e/ to rise in a large number of lexemes, with the articulatory proximity of certain consonantal phonemes playing an important part in the social acceptance or rejection of this elevation and of its integration into the standard variety. In addition to this tendency, there is evidence from the early 14th century of reduction of unstressed /e/ to [ɨ] (possibly according to the evolution [e] > [i] > [ɨ]), similar to what happens in contemporary European Portuguese. The chronology of this phenomenon, which is often said to be in the 18th century, according to Carvalho and Teyssier (1980), therefore needs to be put back by about four centuries.
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spelling doaj.art-8233b87e42fc457ba48cd55db5e57ef22022-12-22T03:35:21ZengUniversity of A CoruñaRevista Galega de Filoloxía1576-26612444-91212015-12-0116437310.17979/rgf.2015.16.0.1378On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian PortugueseMaria José Carvalho0Universidade de CoimbraThe aim of this article is to show that the raising of unstressed /e/ within a word is a very early feature of Portuguese, dating from the 13th century. In fact it can be shown that, independent of the assimilatory vocalic conditions mentioned by Herculano de Carvalho (1962), there was an early tendency for /e/ to rise in a large number of lexemes, with the articulatory proximity of certain consonantal phonemes playing an important part in the social acceptance or rejection of this elevation and of its integration into the standard variety. In addition to this tendency, there is evidence from the early 14th century of reduction of unstressed /e/ to [ɨ] (possibly according to the evolution [e] > [i] > [ɨ]), similar to what happens in contemporary European Portuguese. The chronology of this phenomenon, which is often said to be in the 18th century, according to Carvalho and Teyssier (1980), therefore needs to be put back by about four centuries.http://revistas.udc.es/index.php/rgf/article/view/rgf.2015.16.0.1378/623atonic vocalismvocalic harmonizationatonic vocalism in European Portugueseatonic vocalism in Brazilian PortuguesePortuguese historical phonology
spellingShingle Maria José Carvalho
On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese
Revista Galega de Filoloxía
atonic vocalism
vocalic harmonization
atonic vocalism in European Portuguese
atonic vocalism in Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese historical phonology
title On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese
title_full On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese
title_fullStr On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese
title_full_unstemmed On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese
title_short On the origins of the values of unstressed non-final /e/ in European and Brazilian Portuguese
title_sort on the origins of the values of unstressed non final e in european and brazilian portuguese
topic atonic vocalism
vocalic harmonization
atonic vocalism in European Portuguese
atonic vocalism in Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese historical phonology
url http://revistas.udc.es/index.php/rgf/article/view/rgf.2015.16.0.1378/623
work_keys_str_mv AT mariajosecarvalho ontheoriginsofthevaluesofunstressednonfinaleineuropeanandbrazilianportuguese