The Phonetics And Phonology Of Liaison Consonants In Montreal French
This thesis investigates the behaviour of liaison consonants (LCs) in Montreal French from both a phonetic and a phonological perspective. LCs are consonants that surface between two words only if certain phonological, syntactic, lexical, and socioindexical factors are met. The main question addressed here pertains to the syllabic affiliation of these consonants. Based on previous research on acoustic and articulatory cues of syllable affiliation, I designed and conducted two experiments comparing the acoustic and kinematic behaviour of LCs with the behaviour of non-alternating codas and onsets. The results are presented and then discussed through the lense of two phonological frameworks: Articulatory Phonology (AP) and Selection & Coordination Theory (SCT). I conclude that LCs in Montreal French syllabify as non-canonical codas.