Mid-Vowel Alternation in Parisian French: An Analysis Through Verlan

Main Article Content

Corentin Mazet

Abstract

The French mid-vowel system, and specifically the apparent alternation in tenseness, is one of the most debated topics in French phonology. Accounts center around the apparent alternation between the tense series (/e/, /ø/, and /o/) and their lax counterparts (/ɛ/, /œ/, and /ɔ/). Words such as [fe] ‘fairy’, in which the mid vowel appears in an open syllable, and counterpart [fɛt] ‘party’, in which it appears in a closed syllable, are examples of the alternation in Modern French. The general assumption is an alternation based on syllable structure, often named Loi de Position (LdP), in which the position of the vowel triggers the alternation. In this article, I look at the mid-vowel alternation in Parisian French through Verlan words.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

Section
Articles