Ipar Euskal Herriko hots dardarkariak: Hazparneko libertimendua aztergai

Resumen

This article investigates ongoing segmental variation in the production of trills in the Northern Basque Country. Specifically, it examines the apparent replacement of the alveolar trill by its uvular counterpart and assesses whether this sound shift has reached completion. Drawing on historical attestations that suggest such variation is not a recent phenomenon, the study provides a detailed account of the current state of the system, based on both empirical data and reference materials.

We analyze the pronunciation of trills among speakers from Hazparne (Lapurdi), using a corpus of performances by participants in the Libertimendua (carnival performance) aged between 16 and 30, recorded in 2024. The results show that while the uvular trill is predominant among young speakers in Hazparne, the alveolar trill continues to be employed in certain contexts and character portrayals during these performances. This suggests that young speakers from Hazparne are not only capable of perceiving the alveolar trill but can also produce it intentionally. Although it no longer features in their everyday speech, it remains an available and consciously accessible phonemic resource, functioning as an echo or reflection of a sound that persists within the community in specific forms and performance contexts.