Looking at the Factors behind Vocalization: A Variationist Approach
Junice Acosta
University of Illinois at Chicago
Recent research have shown that speakers’ linguistic choices may be constrained by both
intra- (i.e., internal to the language) and extra- (i.e., social) linguistic factors. Therefore, it
is crucial that a comprehensive analysis of linguistic variation take into account all of
these types of factors. In spite of the increasing number of studies that deal with variation
in Spanish dialects, the field has yet to propose a model that effectively accounts for these
issues using an approach that combines the available research bridging the individual and
social levels of analysis. This study seeks to identify both the intra and extra-linguistic
factors that significantly impact the variation patterns of vernacular language use among
speakers from rural communities of the Dominican Republic. It examines the
phonological process known as vocalization in which the liquid segments (i.e. /l,
ɾ/) become a palatal glide [j] in post-vocalic position. Specifically, it analyzes how
several intra-linguistic factors (e.g. phonological context, stress, grammatical category)
affect vocalization. Likewise, in order to address claims made by Bott (1971) that the
variants used by the speakers carry social meanings, it examines the relationship between
potentially significant extra-linguistic factors (e.g. age, sex, place of origin) in relation to
vocalization. Data analysis suggest that phonological context, position within the word
and stress as well as speakers’ level of education and age have an impact on speakers’
linguistic choices regarding vocalization.