> Even in English Northumbrian dialects had (and perhaps still have,
> to some degree) uvular /R/. I doubt that this was in imitation of
> French because the French spoken in English up to the end of Middle
> English probably did not have uvular /R/, and after that time French
> was not a significant influence on English pronunciation, I'm sure.
> So just as /R/ was an independent development in Northumbrian
> English, so could /R/ have arisen independently in Germanic dialects
> and then spread to the standard languages. (I just won't give up,
> will I?)
>
> > > I have a Ukrainian friend who is unable to pronounce the
> > > alveolar
> > > trill /r/ of Ukrainian and Russian so she substitutes /R/, even
> > > though she has practically no knowledge of French. A similar
> > > innovation could have happened in Germanic.
> >
> > There are always a few who do that. The interesting part happens
> > when it becomes socially acceptable. All Danish dialects have had
> > apical /r/ in historical times, uvular /R/ is now the norm
> > everywhere.
> >
> And that is solely due to the influence of French?
>
This is getting interesting.
From Brøndum-Nielse: Dialekter og dialektforskning:
'I Bornholmsk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bornholm
Moment 10
c) [r] is in the elderly apical, in the younger generally uvular
Moment 19 Delabialization occurs (esp. before /w/) [a few examples]
II Zealand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealand
Moment 10
[r] is still in anlaut apical in the older generation. Around Roskilde
/r/ sometimes disappears in auslaut ...
Moment 19 Standard Danish w, i and ø, y before w is delabialized /ew/
/iw/ in the most of Sjælland
III Fyn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funen
Moment 10
Apical [r] still used by the older generation
Moment 19
Delabializaton occurs some places in East Fyn and Wesr Fyn before /w/
and before /m/. Labialization is particularly strong [on S fyn]
IV Jutland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutland
Moment 10
Apical [r] is used at least by old people everywhere in Jutland;
however Djursland from ancient times had uvular /R/
A more or less cacuminal /l/, in its occurrence corresponding to
supradental /l/ exists in eastern Jutland to N of Randers
Moment 19
Delabialization in full extent exists in a central east Jutland area
(Djurslands Sønder- (ie. southern) herred,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djursland
Mols
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mols
Anholt
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anholt
northern Samsø...)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sams%C3%B8
Before /m/, east Jutland south of Horsens has delabialization.'
So the only place in Denmark apical /r/ has not been documented as
existing before present uvular /R/ is the above coastal areas facing
the same section of the Kattegat; Samsø used to be where the leding
fleet towards England was assembled. Delabialization exists in the
same area. What was the status on the start of delabialization in
English dialects we discussed recently?
Torsten