Fortis and lenis –the inside story

fortis

lenis

PLOSIVES

FRICATIV

ES

AFFRICATES

FORTIS LENIS

• length

• voicing

• strength

• aspiration

• glottalization

unvoiced often voiced

longer shorter

stronger weaker

not aspirated

not glottalized

may be glottalized

may be aspirated

FORTIS LENIS

• voicing unvoiced often voiced

initial to domedial weighty ladyfinal mate made

initial sink zincmedial looser loserfinal priceprize

FORTIS LENIS

• voicing unvoiced often voiced

Particular problems for Icelanders:voicing of final plosives

rip – rib, rope – robe, wipe – vibemat – mad, mate – meid, rote – roadleak – league, lock – log, back – bagbatch – badge, rich – ridge

FORTIS LENIS

• length longer shorter

initial to domedial weighty ladyfinal mate made

initial sink zincmedial looser loserfinal priceprize

FORTIS LENIS

Note: there are no long consonants in English as there are in Icelandic

Compare:rubber – labourladdy – ladyeager – bigger

• length longer shorter

FORTIS LENIS

• strength stronger weaker

initial to domedial weighty ladyfinal mate made

initial sink zincmedial looser loserfinal priceprize

FORTIS LENIS• aspiration may be

aspiratednot aspirated

pie buytie diecave gave

FORTIS LENIS• aspiration may be

aspiratednot aspirated

piebuyspypúabúaspúla

FORTIS LENIS

Particular problems for Icelanders:preaspiration

rappa – supper, stopp – stop skvetta – better, matt – Matt - matrekka – wrecker, lakk - lackfitness, apple, bottle, picnic

• aspiration may beaspirated

not aspirated

FORTIS LENIS

• glottalization may beglottalized

not glottalized

thatwhatshopmakematchcaptain

FORTIS LENIS

• length

• voicing

• strength

• aspiration

• glottalization

unvoiced often voiced

longer shorter

stronger weaker

not aspirated

not glottalized

may be glottalized

may be aspirated

FORTIS LENIS

• voicing unvoiced often voiced

• aspirationnot aspirated

may be aspirated

English ph b

French p b

Fortis

Lenis

PIE BUY

PEAU BEAU

Icelandic ph pPÆ BÆ

English

ph p b

French

Icelandic pæ bæ

peau beau

pie buy

pH-sp, tH-st, kH-sk

pin

pHin

tie

tHai

key

kHI

spin

spin

sty

stai

ski

skI

pin penni

spin spenni

bin benni

VOT

Voice Onset time

release

pin penni

binspin spenna, benni

labour, grabberábót, labba

rabb, roprub

toptopp

super, supper

lipclosure

VOT no voicingvoicing

VOT

Voice Onset Time

bay

labour

lipclosure

release

labba

pay, páll

bein

no voicingvoicing