Variation und Wandel des postvokalischen r

Abstract

The present study deals with levelling processes in the traditional Austrian dialects – on the one hand inter-dialectal levelling (= the reduction of variation between dialects), and on the other hand intra-dialectal levelling (= the reduction of variation within one dialect). The interplay of both processes is analysed for the realizations of postvocalic r (= variable (r)). Although a complex variability is stated for (r) – which is also relevant for Austrian dialect classification – there are no recent studies on (r). This desideratum is addressed in the present article by investigating data of 163 speakers from 40 localities. In doing so, 7,951 realizations of (r) in 50 lexical items are analysed. Based on a real- and apparent-time design the study reveals a significant spread of vocalized forms resulting in both inter- and intra-dialectal levelling. In the article, the interplay of both processes is discussed. This includes also their origins (horizontal and vertical contact) and developments (e.g. lexical diffusion).