Spirantization of/p t k/ in sienese Italian and so-called semi-fricatives

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a first acoustic phonetic investigation into voiceless spirantization in the variety of Tuscan Italian spoken in Siena. Based on spontaneous speech data (6 speakers), we focus upon occurrences of a phonetic variant, previously referred to as a 'semi-fricative'. Intermediate between a voiceless stop and a voiceless fricative, it is reported to occur in Pisan (e.g. [1], [2]) but not Florentine Italian (e.g. [3]).