Deletion of Word-Final Final [u] in São Miguel Portuguese (Maia): A Variationist Perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the linguistic and extralinguistic factors that affect the deletion of word-final [u] (gat/u/=> [gat] ‘cat') in Azorean Portuguese, a prestige marker (Silva 2005) characteristic of the European variety of Portuguese (EP). In this study, native speakers of Azorean Portuguese (AP) completed a picture naming task, a picture description as well as an interview in the presence of both an AP and an EP speaker. The participants were audio-recorded, and relevant data were transcribed, coded and subject to Goldvarb X analysis. Results of the study indicate that extralinguistic factors such as the presence of either an EP or AP speaker affected the process of [u] deletion: participants were more likely to preserve the segment when they completed the tasks in the presence of an EP speaker, confirming that its pronunciation is viewed as a prestige marker by the participants. These results are consistent with Speech Accommodation Theory, which posits that people unconsciously adapt their speech so that it conforms more to the speech of their interlocutors (Coupland and Giles 1988). In addition, the participants were more likely to preserve word-fmal [u] when engaged in more formal tasks (e.g., in picture naming). Finally, it was predicted that the linguistic environment would play a role in the extent to which the final [u] was deleted. Based on the concept of markedness on coda constituents (i.e., voiced codas are more marked than their voiceless counterparts; Prance and Smolensky 1993) and on a study by Silva (1998), it was hypothesized that [u]-delction would be favoured in preceding voiceless environments because the resulting segment (i.e., a voiceless consonant) would constitute the ideal coda. The results of the investigation, however, revealed that deletion was more frequent when [u] was preceded by voiced consonants, contradicting both markedness on coda sonority and Silva’s findings.