Regional variation of Saterland Frisian vowels

This paper reports on the acoustic investigation of Saterland Frisian vowels, including their regional variation. The study aims at identifying merged vowel categories as well as supplementary acoustic dimensions, which enhance the discrimination of spectrally adjacent categories. All vowels were elicited in a /hVt/ frame. Acoustic measurements included vowel duration, mid-vowel F1 and F2, Vowel Inherent Spectral Change (VISC) [16], and the spectral rate of change [10]. Results confirm large inventories for the varieties of Saterland Frisian, although some vowel categories have undergone a merger. The comparison of spectral features of single vowel categories in the three varieties revealed an effect for Scharrel, in which most monophthongs are more centralized in the F1 dimension than in Strücklingen. These findings are discussed in light of the natives’ perception of regional differences in speech rate.