Geminates and vowel laxing in Quebec French
Anaele Cuerrier, Charles Reiss
direct link: http://ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/003705
October 2017
Laxing and harmony in Quebec French (QF) high vowels shows dialectal, register and perhaps even lexical variation. A recent proposal to handle some of the data (Poliquin, 2006) contains a radical innovation to phonological theory concerning long-distance segment interactions. We question the necessity of such an account by pointing out that recognition of geminate sonorants in QF can explain some puzzling forms without recourse to new devices. Our account is supported by phonetic considerations, as well as by recognizing that the alternative both under and overgenerates lax vowels in surface forms.