Re: Spanish and Italian _r_ and _rr_ -- for my Romlang #3

>John Quijada <jq_ithkuil@...> wrote:
>Spanish:  Word-initial _r_ is always /r/, pronounced [r].  _r_ is
>also /r/ after /n/ and, in some dialects, after /l/.  After all
>other consonants, it is /4/.  In word-final position, it is /4/ in
>normal speech, but /r/ in emphatic or hyper-enunciated speech.
Two additional notes:

1) Word initial <r> /r/ is spelled <rr> when the word becomes a part
of a compound word.  "Guardarropa" (coat room) comes to mind
immediately, formed from "guardar" (keep, guard, protect) and "ropa"
(clothing).  The <r> is doubled to indicate that the /r/ is
retained, since it would be /4/ otherwise.  Cf. "perro" and "pero."

2) When I lived in Honduras I was introduced to /r_0/, the voiceless
alveolar trill.  Allophonic, of course, it occurs when <r> is
final.  My American contacts often tell me they hear <sh> /S/.  I'm
told that this is part of a Caribbean regional accent.  I have no
experience with that.  I own several CD's of Nana Mouskouri singing
in Spanish.  She can be heard using this allophone often.  I
understand that /r_0/ is phonemic in Welsh, spelled <rh> to
distinguish it from <r> /r/.  It is a phoneme in my conlang Senjecas.

Charlie
http://wiki.frath.net/senjecas

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