Breton (Treger dialect)

Extract

Fairly broad transcription. Stress is strong. Unstressed vowels are short, stressed vowels are half long unless before fortis (voiceless, double) consonants or consonant clusters, where they are short. Adjacent vowels are in hiatus and thus form two syllables, w, j are consonantal except when final or before a consonant where they represent the second element of falling closing diphthongs. , ã = a in W. Treger, ã in E. Treger. Contingent nasality before nasal consonants is not marked, ë, ä are e, a reduced towards ə except in the slowest, clearest forms of speech, θ = rounded ə. Lenis obstruent devoicing in final pausal position and in sandhi is marked .; fortis obstruent voicing in sandhi is marked ˅. h is a lenis, usually unvoiced, with some voicing possible between vowels and next to liquids; in final pausal position or in sandhi = x. m is a fortis. ɲ is a fortis; there is usually a j-glide between it and a preceding vowel, r is a light flap or trill; with some speakers it is ɻ; in some parts of Brittany it is R or B, but not in Treger; when written ^r it is not usually heard except in slow, clear forms of speech. I may be heard velarized in some districts, but not in Treger. t, d, n may be somewhat advanced towards a dental position, p, t, k may have slight aspiration except after s.