A fricativa palato-alveolar e sua complexidade : uma regra variável

Abstract

This thesis aims at studying the palato-alveolar fricatives [S, 3] under the perspective of Feature Geometry (CLEMENTS; HUME, 1995) and under the perspective of Linguistic Variation Theory, Labovian model. In Portuguese language these consonants are realized distinctively at the beginning of the word and between vowels. In coda position, however, palato-alveolar consonants arise as variants, consequence of the palatalization process of an underlying /S. Under the first perspective, [S, 3] are represented as corono-dorsal complex segments. We propose further that the feature referring to palatalization ([+P]) is not the same to palato-alveolar consonants and palatal consonantas: while [ +P] is equivalent to the Vocalic Node and its dependents P-V [coronal] and Aperture to [?, ?], it is equivalent to the Vocalic Node and its dependent P-V [dorsal] to [S, 3]. Under the second perspective, we tried to detect the linguistic and social contexts that regulate the phenomenon application sincronically. The corpus of the study - part of VARSUL Bank Data - embrace three regions of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina: the downtown area, Ribeirão da Ilha and Barra da Lagoa.