The /rˇ/ phoneme insertion in current Quechua: an explanation from a theory of natural classes

• Autor: Meneses Tutaya, Norma
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2017
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe:article/22378
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/lenguaysociedad/article/view/22378
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: fonología quechua; fonema vibrante múltiple; clases y subclases naturales; teoría de las clases naturales; Quechua phonology; multiple vibrant phoneme; natural classes and subclasses; natural classes theory

The present study brings a possible explanation of how vibrant multiple prepalatal /ř/ is a «natural» segment in consonantal inventory of current Quechua despite its evident derivation from the contact with Spanish. In other words, the phoneme /ř/ has been incorporated into the phonological system of some dialects of Quechua and it is in process of expansion to all dialects, due mainly to its correspondance to a «natural» slot within the Quechua system rather than a merely loan explanation or an interference of the Andean Spanish. In any case, without neglecting any of the given explanations, I propose that the determinant factor is intrinsic to the phonological system of Quechua from the point of view of a natural classes theory. Because of this theory, Quechua consonantal system is organized into natural classes, where [+cons, +cor] class is nuclear. Within this natural class there is an opposition between two subclasses: [+cons, +cor, +ant] / [+cons, +cor, +post]. The presence of the multiple retroreflex vibrant would be explained by their relocation in the second subclass where it fullfills an empty cell.