Hard and soft G in Dutch: Difference between revisions

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In Northern Dutch, {{IPA|/ɣ/}} appears immediately before voiced consonants and sometimes also between vowels. In the latter case, the sound is not voiced and differs from {{IPA|/x/}} in length ({{IPA|/ɣ/}} is longer) and in that it is produced a little bit further front (mediovelar, rather than postvelar) and lacks any trilling, so that {{lang|nl|vlaggen}} {{IPA|/ˈvlɑɣən/}} 'flags' has a somewhat lengthened, plain voiceless velar {{IPAblink|x|xˑ}} (hereafter represented with {{angbr IPA|ɣ̊}}): {{IPA|[ˈvlɑɣ̊ə(n)]}}, whereas {{lang|nl|lachen}} {{IPA|/ˈlɑxən/}} 'to laugh' features a shorter, post-velar fricative with a simultaneous voiceless uvular trill, transcribed with {{angbr IPA|x̠͡ʀ̥}} or {{angbr IPA|ʀ̝̊˖}} in narrow IPA but normally written with {{angbr IPA|χ}} or {{angbr IPA|x}}. In this article, {{angbr IPA|χ}} is used ({{IPA|[ˈlɑχə(n)]}}), even though the fricative portion is usually more front than cardinal uvulars.{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|1982}}{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003}}{{sfnp|Goeman|Van de Velde|2001}} In Northern Dutch, the contrast between {{IPA|/x/}} and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} is unstable, and {{lang|nl|vlaggen}} is more likely to feature {{IPAblink|χ}}: {{IPA|[ˈvlɑχə(n)]}}.{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|1982}}{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003}} Apart from Ripuarian, the voiceless trill fricative {{IPAblink|ʀ̝̊}} appears in very different contexts in Southern Dutch, being an allophone of {{IPA|/r/}}.{{sfnp|Tops|2009}}
 
Thus, the phrase {{lang|nl|zachte G}} 'soft G' is pronounced {{IPA|[ˈzɑxtə ˈʝeː]}} in Southern Dutch, whereas the Northern pronunciation is {{IPA|[ˈzɑχtə ˈχei]}}. The Ripuarian-influenced Standard Dutch pronunciation is {{IPA|[ˈzɑχtə ˈʝeː]}}. In those dialects, {{lang|nl|vlaggen}} is pronounced {{IPA|[ˈvlɑʁə(n)]}}, (as if spelled {{lang|nl|vlarren}}), whereas {{lang|nl|lachen}} is pronounced {{IPA|[ˈlɑχə]}}.
 
==Geographical distribution==