Changes in the pitch-accent system of Gernika Basque

Itxaso Rodríguez Ordoñez

doi:10.35462/FLV127.4

Itxaso Rodríguez Ordoñez Southern Illinois University Carbondale [United States] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7193-0315

Keywords: Basque accent, language change, Gernika Basque

Abstract

The pitch-accent system in Northern Bizkaian Basque (NBB) is characterized for making a pitch distinction between lexical accented/unaccented words (i.e. singular vs. plural contrast) and for lacking a durational correlate of accentual prominence. The present study examines whether such system is maintained in Gernika Basque, a variety of NBB. Results show that younger speakers (ages 18-45) from Spanish speaking households are more likely to show no pitch differences to convey a singular/plural contrast if they also belong to Spanish-speaking social networks. Although duration correlates were found among some speakers, its use was not directly related to the loss of contrast in pitch.

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