R's

--- In cybalist@..., "petegray" <petegray@...> wrote:

> > Man, uvulars really get
> > AROUND in Europe, don't they :)
>
> The dialect map of uvular /r/ versus trilled /r/ is quite complex

(and even

> more so when you consider uvular fricative /r/). I give you two
> descriptions:
>
> (a) very simply, uvular /r/ is found in a continuous area of Europe

from

> France up to Germany and Denmark (but not in Holland).
>
> (b) in more detail, uvular /r/ is:
>
> not usual in Spain, Italy, mid-south & East Switzerland, Austria,

Bavaria,

> and beyond the eastern German border; Norway, Sweden, Holland,

North

> Flanders.
>
> generally used in France (outside the south-west), other parts of

Belgium,

> the area around The Hague, and in three unconnected areas of

Germany (around

> Cologne, Stuttgart and Berlin), all Denmark (except the extreme

south),

The "extreme south" of Denmark makes about as much sense as
the "extreme south" of the British Isles would. Is it Southern
Jutland or Lolland-Falster (the "South Sea Islands")?

From Johs. Brøndum-Nielsen: "Dialekter og dialektforskning", 1951
Bornholm:
/r/ is with older people apical, with younger people uvular
Sjælland with Lolland-Falster:
/r/ is still in anlaut often apical with the older generation.
Fyn:
Apical /r/ is still used partly by old people.
Jutland:
Apical /r/ (voiced, unvoiced) is used at least by old people over
almost all of Jutland, but since olden times Djursland has uvular /r/
(voiced, unvoiced).

Which is all. This surprised me, I thought based on what I hear that
apical /r/ was exclusive to Jutland. Brøndum-Nielsen's sources are
from 1885-1920.

> and
> under Danish influence, the southern tips of both Norway and

Sweden, and

> around Bergen in Norway.
>
> usual in educated speech in south-west France, most of Germany

outside

> Bavaria, and north-mid Switzerland, but there are pockets within

these areas

> where it will be heard only in some educated speech.
>
> Peter

Torsten