Factors predicting phonological adaptations of the Spanish phonemes /x / and /θ / in Catalan

Abstract

Abstract The choice between using a Catalan word or a loanword from Spanish which contains a non-Catalan segment is conditioned by: i) whether the two words are cognates, ii) whether speakers have had schooling in Catalan, iii) the degree of Spanish usage in the district they live. When speakers modify the pronunciation of the Spanish word in order to avoid using non-Catalan segments, phonological adaptations are more often found in Spanish words which contain /θ/ than in those which contain /x/. Such a finding is explained in terms of the Principle of Feature Economy.