Syntactical Juncture in Colloquial Mexican Spanish

In this study, we address various measures that have been employed to distinguish between syllable and stress- timed languages. This study differs from all previous ones by (i) exploring and comparing multiple metrics within a quantitative and multifactorial perspective and by (ii) also documenting the impact of corpus-based word frequency. We begin with the basic distinctions of speech rhythms, dealing with the differences between syllable-timed languages and stress-timed languages and several methods that have been used to attempt to distinguish between the two. We then describe how these metrics were used in the current study comparing the speech rhythms of Mexican Spanish speakers and bilingual English/Spanish speakers (speakers born to Mexican parents in California). More specifically, we evaluate how well various metrics of vowel duration variability as well as the so far understudied factor of corpus-based frequency allow to classify speakers as monolingual or bilingual. A binary logistic regression identifies several main effects and interactions. Most importantly, our results call the utility of a particular rhythm metric, the PVI, into question and indicate that corpus data in the form of lemma frequencies interact with two metrics of durational variability, suggesting that durational variability metrics should ideally be studied in conjunction with corpus-based frequency data.

Download Full-text

Comparative Notes on New-Mexican and Mexican Spanish Folk-Tales

Journal of American Folklore ◽

10.2307/534598 ◽

1914 ◽

Vol 27 (104) ◽

pp. 211 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Aurelio M. Espinosa

Keyword(s):

Mexican Spanish ◽

Folk Tales ◽

New Mexican

Download Full-text

Linguistic assimilation in two variables

Language Variation and Change ◽

10.1017/s0954394500001411 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 77-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jon Amastae ◽

David Satcher

Keyword(s):

Mexican Spanish ◽

Local Norms

ABSTRACTThis article examines the type of relatively rapid speech modification sometimes called “accommodation” (Trudgill, 1986). In this case, we track change on the part of speakers of Honduran Spanish newly resident among speakers of Northern Mexican Spanish. The two variables investigated are final /n/ velarization and spirantization, both of which differ in the two dialects. (Honduran Spanish velarizes final /n/, while Northern Mexican Spanish does not; Honduran Spanish conserves stops l, r, s and glides, whereas Northern Mexican Spanish produces fricatives.) It is found that, although there is change in the direction of local norms in both variables, velarization shows greater change. In addition, the degree of contact with local speakers also leads to greater change for velarization only. Reasons for the different behavior are considered.

Download Full-text