Phonology (Fonoloxía)

 

Vowels (Vocais)

The phonological system has seven vowels in stressed position. Vowels are defined according to their place of articulation and their height. The former contrast is more important and it is maintained in neutralisations. In unstressed positions, the number of units is more reduced. Phonemes [i] and [u] may appear in atonic end position only when they occur in a falling diphthong, as in pai father and meu mine.
 

Tonic and pretonic position

 

Non-initial post-tonic position

 

Final post-tonic position

Sign

Value

Examples

Sign

Value

Examples

Sign

Value

Examples

a

[a]

bala ['bala]

a

[a]

páramo ['paÒamo]

a

[a]

cama ['kama]

e

[E]

ferro ['fEòo]

e

[e]

aéreo ['a'Ereo]

e

[e]

case ['kase]

[e]

mes ['mes]

i

[i]

único ['uniko]

o

[o]

ramo ['òamo]

i

[i]

vista ['bista]

o

[o]

cómodo ['komodo]

 

o

[O]

vos ['bOs]

u

[u]

cúmulo ['kumulo]

[o]

son ['sOn]

 

u

[u]

fume ['fume]
 
Unlike in the Portuguese Galician vocalic system has not phonological contrasts based on nasality, length or tone.

The position of stress is relatively free. Though in most words the stress is in the penultimate syllable, in some it is in the antepenultimate or final syllable. Due to such a freedom, the stress in Galician does not have a demarcative aim, but a distinctive one cantaran they had sung vs. cantarán they will sing.
 

Diphthongs (Ditongos)

Galician has both falling and rising diphthongs. The only vocalic phonemes that can occur as semivowels or semiconsonants are [i] and [u], that are here realized as [j] and [w], respectively. The contrast based on height between medial vowels are neutralised when they occur in diphthongs.
 

Falling diphthongs

 

Rising diphthongs

Signs

Value

Examples

Signs

Value

Examples

ai

[aj]

pai 

ia

[ja]

diante 

au

[aw]

causa 

ie

[jE]

ciencia 

ei

[ej]

teito 

io

[jo]

cemiterio 

eu

[ew]

meu 

iu

[ju]

triunfo 

iu

[iw]

viviu 

ua

[wa]

lingua 

oi

[oj]

froito 

ue

[wE]

frecuente 

ou

[ow]

ouro 

ui

[wi]

lingüista 

ui

[uj]

puido 

uo

[wo]

residuo 

 

Consonants (Consoantes)

Signs

Position

Value

Examples

p

in all positions

[p]

porto port

t

in all positions

[t]

terra earth, land

ch

in all positions

[tS]

cheo full

c

before a, o, u or consonant

[k]

corno horn

qu

before e, i (u being mute) queixo chin

b

in all positions

[b]

barco ship

v

in all positions vivir to live

d

in all positions

[d]

dar to give

ll

in all positions

[L]

ollo eye

[j]

g

before a, o, u or consonant

[g] or [G]

gato cat (male)

gu

before e, i (u being mute) guerra war

f

in all positions

[f]

fermoso beautiful

c

before e, i

[T]

ceo sky

z

before a, o, u zorro fox

s

in all positions

[s]

mesa table

x

in all positions

[S]

lixo garbage

r

between vowels or in the end of the words

[r]

caro dear, expensive
amar to love

r

in the beginning of the word or after n, s

[ò]

rei king, tenro tender

rr

between vowels

[ò]

ferro iron

l

in all positions

[l]

lume light

m

in all positions

[m]

mudar to change

n

in all positions

[n]

nadar to dive

ñ

in all positions

[N]

año lamb

nh

in all positions

[M]

algunha some (fem.)

 
Phonemes [g] and [T] do not exist in some Galician dialects. Phonemes [G] and [s] occur in their place, respectively. The first phenomenon is called gheada, the second, seseo.

Phoneme [L] is today being replaced by phoneme [j] in all Galician dialects. This replacement is called yeísmo.
 

Syllabic structure (Estructura silábica)

Only vowels can be a syllabic nucleus in Galician. Besides, as mentioned before, vowels [i] and [u] may appear as syllabic margin in diphthongs.

The most common syllabic structure in Galician is CV.

Most of CVC structures have their origin in inflectional morphological processes, which usually involve the attachment of a consonant in offset position:

This is also the case with CVCC structures:

CCV structures are also possible, and they normally consist of an occlusive consonant followed by a liquid consonant:


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