Syllable-Initial /S/ in Traditional New Mexican Spanish: Linguistic Factors Favoring Reduction Ahina (Report‪)‬

ABSTRACT. This study presents results of the first large-scale (N = 5633), empirical analysis of syllable-initial /s/ reduction in TRADITIONAL NEW MEXICAN SPANISH. The variable aspiration and deletion of syllable-initial /s/, occurring in approximately a third of the lexical types and a quarter of the tokens analyzed, is found in word-initial position (Hi, henor Si, SENOR) and in word-medial position (ahina ASINA). Long considered a phonological trait characteristic of the Spanish of New Mexico (e.g. Espinosa 1909), to date little is known about the variable realizations of /s/ in syllable-initial position. Linguistic factors such as phonological environment, prosody and frequency are shown to correlate significantly with rates of reduction. * INTRODUCTION. In the Traditional Spanish of New Mexico today, a phonological weakening process occurs, unexpectedly, in syllable-initial position. Syllable-initial position, generally more resistant to reductive processes compared to syllable-final position (Bybee 2001:86), is the locus of variable weakening of the sibilant /s/. Processes affecting this New Mexican /s/ in syllable-initial position include aspiration and deletion (regarded as REDUCTION in this analysis), which are found in both word-initial [Hi; henor (Si, senor) YES, SIR] and word-medial positions [ahina (asina) SO, THIS WAY, ?que paha? ?que pasa?) WHAT'S HAPPENING?).