The effects of three-way consonant distinction in Northern Saami

Abstract

Of the world’s languages, very few have been attested to possess a three-way consonant length distinction, among them Northern Saami (Uralic). However, the effects of this rare contrast on adjacent segments remain unexplored. This study reports on dialectal variation within Northern Saami and sheds light on the relationship between consonant length and the duration of preceding vowels. Three speakers were recorded: one Western Guovdageaidnu speaker and two Eastern Kárášjohka speakers. Target words were bisyllabic of the form CVV(C), with a medial short, long, or extra-long consonant, and were elicited in frame sentences. Results show dialectal differences in the number of consonant length distinctions, as well as the effects on preconsonantal vowels. The Western dialect exhibits three surface consonant lengths, while the Eastern dialect only has the longest and shortest. Interestingly, the Eastern speakers’ extra-long C are systematically longer than their Western counterparts. Preconsonantal vowels vary with consonant length in the Western dialect, while Eastern preconsonantal vowels present a broader range of contrasts. These findings suggest that the Western dialect resembles other Saami languages with three consonant lengths (e.g., McRobbie-Utasi 2007). In comparison, the Eastern dialect may instantiate some of this contrast on the preceding vowel instead.