Mathematical Model to Describe the Boundary of a Vowel Shift in the Past on theBasis of Data from Contemporary Dutch Dialects

摘要

In the International Phonetic Alphabeth the Westgermanic form 'oe' or u isdenoted by (u) or (u:), dependent on the length of the vowel. The Holland alternative, which is also the official pronunciation is denoted by (inverted Vj), while the other dialects often use the vowel (y). The shift from (u:) to (y) is from a later date and is called a 'palatalisation'. It is the focus of the paper. The aim of the paper is to give a general idea of the current position of the transition region, which is only minimally influenced by local peculiarities. And, as far as this is possible from the given position, to distinguish between the main geographical characteristics which describe the vowel shift region.