Variation in the realization of Catalan and Romanian voiceless sibilant contrast

Abstract

Romanian and Valencian Catalan show a similar contrast between the non-palatal sibilant /s/ and the palatal sibilant /?/, although the articulation of both consonants displays differences between these two languages. In Romanian /s/ is pronounced as a dental sibilant, more anterior than in Valencian Catalan, and /?/ is articulated more palatal, with a more posterior articulation than in Valencian Catalan. Our first goal is to describe the acoustic characteristics of these consonants and to verify if the first spectral moment, center of gravity, is a good indicator to characterize the articulation of the /s/ and /?/ in both languages. The second goal is to determine if there are differences in both languages regarding the contrast /s/ vs. /?/. Our data show that the center of gravity allows us to describe the differences of articulation between Catalan and Romanian consonants. With respect to the distance between both sibilant, we can stablish a scale in Valencian Catalan that goes from the neutralization to a sharp distinction. In Romanian, on the other hand, there is a robust contrast, similar or sharper than in the Valencian varieties with a more robust distinction.