Danish phonology

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Main article: Danish language

Consonants

Danish has 17 to 19 consonants, depending on analysis:

/p, t, k/ are voiceless and aspirated: [pʰ, tˢ, kʰ] (some scholars analyse them as voiceless aspirated lenis: [b̥ʰ, d̥ˢ, ɡ̊ʰ]). /b, d, ɡ/ are voiceless and lenis: [b̥, d̥, ɡ̊]. /p~b/, /t~d/ and /k~ɡ/ are distinguished only in word-initial position or at the beginning of a stressed syllable. Hence lappe 'patch' = labbe 'lap' [ˈlɑb̥ə], værten 'the host' = verden 'the world' [ˈʋaɐ̯d̥ən], lække 'leak' = lægge 'lay' [ˈlɛɡ̊ə].

The combination of /sj/ is realized as [ɕ], making it possible to postulate a tentative /ɕ/-phoneme in Danish.

/ʋ, ð, r/ may have slight frication, but are usually pronounced as pure approximants, and hence being rendered as [ʋ, ð̪, ʁ]. In the position after a vowel (except before a stressed vowel), /v/ and /r/ are normally pronounced [ʊ̯] and [ɐ̯]. In slow and careful speech /v/ is often = [ʋ]). /r/ = [ɐ] forms a diphthong with the preceding vowel: e.g. stor "big" [ˈsd̥oɐ̯ˀ], næring "nourishment" [ˈnɛɐ̯eŋ]. /a(ː)r/ and /ɔːr/ / /ɔr/ coalesce into the long vowels [aː] and [ɒː] respectively. /ər/, /rə/ and /rər/ are all rendered as [ɐ], e.g. læger "doctors" = lære "teach, learn; doctrine" = lærer "teaches, learns; teacher" [ˈlɛːɐ].

/və/, /jə/ and /ðə/ (/əð/) are normally rendered as the vowels [ʊ], [ɪ] and [ð̩]. [ʊ], [ɪ] are pretty close to [o] and [e], e.g. leve "live" = Leo [leːʊ]. /vəð/ and especially /jəð/ are frequently assimilated to [ð̞̩] (in the case of /vəð/ normally, but not exclusively, with an indication of a rounding at the outset), e.g. meget "much, very" [ˈmɑːð̞̩], Strøget "a central shopping street" [ˈsd̥ʁʌð̞ˀð̞̩]. Since word-final /ð/ is normally rendered as [d̥] in Jutlandic Standard Danish, these words are normally pronounced without assimilation there: [ˈmɑːɪd̥], [ˈsd̥ʁʌɪ̯ˀɪd̥].

The phoneme /ɣ/ has been lost from the pronunciation of all but the oldest speakers. After frontvowels (and /u(ː)/), it has normally disappeared altogether, though it may be represented by [ɪ̯] after the long vowels /eː/, /ɛː/, /aː/ in careful speech, especially word-finally. After backvowels (except /u(ː)/), it has become [ʊ̯]. NB: eg and øg (like ej and øj) often represent the diphthongs [aɪ̯] and [ʌɪ̯], as in øje (eye) [ʌɪ̯ə].

Vowels

Danish has 16 vowels:

The 16 vowels, of which 15 exist in a short variant and 12 in a long variant, are distributed on 11 short and 10 long phonemes, many of which have a more open allophone in the position before and after /r/.

Long and short vowels

Long vowels occur in syllables which were originally open, i.e. there was not more than one short consonant after the vowel. Since the long consonants have been shortened, vowel quantity has become phonological: bane "course" ≠ bande "swear", ile "hasten" ≠ ilde "badly".

There are long vowels in some syllables which were originally closed, especially in neutres of adjective stems ending in /s/ and /n/ (e.g. pænt "nice" [ˈpʰɛːˀnd̥]) and in the preterits and participles of verb stems ending in /s/, /n/ and /ð/ (e.g. spiste "ate" [ˈsb̥iːsd̥ə], fødte "gave birth to" [ˈføːd̥ə]).

The distinction between long and short vowels are neutralised before /v, j, ð, r/.

Current developments

This sixteen-vowel system is unstable, and the contemporary language is experiencing a merger of more of these phonemes. Thus, many speakers tend to confuse /eː/ with /ɛː/, /e/ with /ɛ/, /øː/ with /œː/ and /ø/ with /œ/ (cf. Michael Ejstrup and Gert Foget Hansen 2004 [1]).

Before labials and velars, /a/ is [ɑ] in most varieties: in other positions, it is [a] in the conservative speakers and [æ] in the younger speakers.

[a], the regular allophone of /ɛ/ after /r/ is [ɑ] before labials and alveolars in the language of most younger speakers; before labials, it is often realised as a diphthong [ɑɪ]; the difference between strække "stretch" and strejke "strike", the only minimal pair, is practically non-existent.

The distinction between /ø/ and /œ/, which is upheld only before nasals, is blurred^{[citation needed]}. One often hears [ø] for /ö/ (e.g. bønder [ˈb̥ønˀɐ] instead of [ˈb̥œnˀɐ]) and [œ] for /ø/ (e.g. bøtte [ˈb̥œd̥ə] instead of [ˈb̥ød̥ə]). However, /ø/ = <y> is normally pronounced only [ø] (one may hear pynte [ˈpʰœnd̥ə] instead of [ˈpʰønd̥ə], though)^{[citation needed]}.

Accent

Unlike the neighboring Mainland Scandinavian languages Swedish and Norwegian, the prosody of Danish does not have phonemic pitch. Stress is phonemic and distinguishes words like [ˈb̥ilisd̥] "cheapest" and [b̥iˈlisd̥] "car driver". The main rules for the position of the stress are:

1. Inherited words are normally stressed on the first syllable.
2. The prefixes be-, for-, ge- are unstressed, e.g. for’stå "understand", be’tale "pay" (NB there is also a stressed for- in nouns corresponding to the verbal prefix fore-).
3. In many compound adjectives, especially those ending in -ig and -lig, the stress is replaced from the first to the second syllable, e.g. vidt’løftig "circumstantial", u’mulig "impossible".
4. Words of French origin are stressed on the last syllable (except /ə/), e.g. renæ’ssance, mil’jø.
5. Words of Greek and Latin origin are stressed according to the Latin accent rules, i.e. stress on the penultimate if it is long or else on the antepenultimate, e.g. Ari’stoteles, Ho’rats.
6. The learned suffixes -aner, -ansk, -ance, -a/ens, -a/ent, -ere, -i, -ik, -ion, -itet, -ør are stressed, e.g. finge’rere, situa’tion, poli’tik, århusi’aner. The preceding syllable is stressed before the learned suffixes -isk, -iker, -or, e.g. po’lemisk, po’litiker, radi’ator. The suffix -or is stressed in the plural: radia’torer (colloquial: radi’atorer).
7. Verbs lose their stress (and stød, if any) in certain positions:

With an object without a definite or indefinite article: e.g. ’Jens ’spiser et ’barn [ˈjɛns ˈsb̥i:ˀsɐ ed̥ ˈb̥ɑ:ˀn] "Jens eats a child" ~ ’Jens spiser ’børn [ˈjɛns sb̥isɐ ˈb̥ɶɐˀn] "Jens eats children".

In a fixed phrase with an adverb or an adverbial: ’Helle ’sov ’længe [ˈhɛlə ˈsʌʊˀ ˈlɛŋə] "Helle slept for a long time" ~ ’Helle sov ’længe [ˈhɛlə sʌʊ ˈlɛŋə] "Helle slept late".

Before the direction adverbs af, hen, hjem, ind, indad, ned, nedad, op, opad, over, ud, udad, under (but not the location adverbs henne. inde, nede, oppe, ovre, ude): e.g. han ’går ’ude på ’gaden [hæn ˈɡɒːˀ ˈuːð̪̩ pʰɔ ˈɡ̊æːð̪̩n] "he walks on the street" ~ han går ’ud på ’gaden [hæn ɡɒ ˈuð̪ˀ pʰɔ ˈɡ̊æːð̪̩n] "he walks into the street".

Stød

The original pitch tone has been replaced by an opposition between syllables with and without the stød. The stød is not a separate phoneme, but a suprasegmental feature that may accompany certain syllables; those with a long vowel or that end with a voiced consonant.

The stød is phonemic since many words are kept apart on the basis on the presence or absence of the stød alone, e.g. løber "runner" [ˈløːb̥ɐ] ≠ løber "runs" [ˈløːˀb̥ɐ / ˈløʊ̯ˀɐ], ånden "the breath" [ˈʌnn̩] ≠ ånden "the spirit" [ˈʌnˀn̩].

It is impossible to predict the presence or absence of the stød; it has to be learned. However there are some main rules:

1. Original monosyllabic words have stød. Words that ended in consonant + r, l, n in Old Danish have the stød even though an anaptyctic vowel was later developed. The postposed definite article, which has become an inseparable part of the word, does not influence the word.
2. All umlauting plurals in -er (ODan. -r) have the stød, e.g. hænder [ˈhɛnˀɐ] "hands".
3. Most presents from strong verbs (ODan. -r) have the stød, e.g. finder [ˈfenˀɐ] "finds". Many of the presents of verbs with a preterite in -te have the stød as well (but not the presents of verbs with a preterite in -ede).
4. Monosyllabic words that originally ended in a short vowel + a single n, r, l, v, ð, g do not have the stød. However, when the definite suffix is added, the stød "returns", e.g. ven [ˈʋɛn] ~ vennen [ˈʋɛnˀn̩] "friend".
5. Stød is frequently avoided in words with the combinations rp, rt, rk, rs, e.g. vers [ˈʋæɐ̯s] "verse", kort [ˈkʰɒːd̥] "card, map"/"short".
6. Most (non-derived) words in -el, -er have the stød. Most words in -en do not have the stød. Nomina agentis in -er do not have the stød.
7. All words with the unstressed prefixes be-, for-, ge- have the stød.
8. There is stød in most compounds that have a replacement of the stress from first to the second syllable.
9. There is frequently the stød in the second part of compound verbs.
10. Monosyllables regularly lose the stød when they are the first part of a compound: mål [ˈmɔːˀl] "target, goal" ~ målmand [ˈmɔːlˌmænˀ] "goalkeeper". The vowel is sometimes shortened: tag [ˈtˢæːˀ] "roof" ~ tagterrasse [ˈtˢɑʊ̯tˢaˌʁɑsə] ”roof terrace”
11. Words of Greek or Latin origin have the stød on a stressed antepenultimate syllable or a stressed last syllable. A stressed penultimate syllable has the stød if the word ends in -er.

Dania transliteration

The Danish handbooks (including the pronunciation dictionaries) normally use another transliteration standard known as Dania. It is more similar to the orthography and is to some extent phonological rather than phonetic. E.g. the vowels of stræde "alley" and gade "gade", which are pronounced identical in Modern Standard Danish, are transliterated <æː> and <ɑː> respectively since they are allophones of different phonemes.

NB Many letters have a different meaning in the two transliteration systems:

Dania a = IPA ɑ

Dania ɑ̇ = IPA a

Dania ɑ = IPA æ

Dania æ = IPA ɛ

Dania ɔ = IPA ʌ

Dania å = IPA ɔ

Orthography

Notes:

1. Short e is normally = /ɛ/; in a few cases, however, it is = /e/
2. Short i, y, u are either = /i, y, u/ or /e, ø, ɔ/; before m, n, ng, nk, the latter are almost universal.

Text sample

Johannes V. Jensen, Kongens Fald, 1900-01 (older orthography):

Rakkeren vred Anders Graas Hest om paa Ryggen og begyndte at aabne den. Blodet laa i en stor brun Pøl, der smeltede sig ned i Sneen, den blegrøde Fraade frøs snart til Is. For hvert Snit af Kniven vældede en Farve ud af den dampende Hestekrop, Kødet spillede i dejlige blaa og røde Farver. Og se Trævlerne blev ved at røre sig, fare sammen og skælve mod Frostluften, de overskaarne Muskler krympede sig som Orme i den svirpende Ild. Det lange Luftrør kom for en Dag, Kindtænderne laa synlige som fire Linjer mystiske Bogstaver. Der kom en fin lyserød Hinde frem, den var mønstret med mangfoldige blaa Aarer som et flodrigt Land set højt oppe fra. Da Brystet blev aabnet, var der ligesom en Hule; store hvidblaa Hinder hang ned, brunt og sort Blod kom ud af Smaahuller i de aarede Vægge, det gule Fedt stod fra Loft til Gulv i langelige og drivende Klaser. Leveren var mere brun end alt andet brunt i Verden, Milten kom tilsyne blaa og skimlet som Natten og Mælkevejen Og der var mange flere skære Farver, blaa og grønne Indvolde, teglstenrøde og okkergule Dele. Alle Østerlands frodige, raa Farver; gult som Ægyptens Sand, turkisblaat som Himlen over Evfrat og Tigris; alle Orientens og Indiens ublu Farver blomstrede ud midt i Sneen under Rakkerens skidne Kniv.

Modern orthography (relatively few changes: mainly from aa to å, and the spelling of nouns with the initial letter in lower-case):

Rakkeren vred Anders Grås hest om på ryggen og begyndte at åbne den. Blodet lå i en stor brun pøl, der smeltede sig ned i sneen, den blegrøde fråde frøs snart til is. For hvert snit af kniven vældede en farve ud af den dampende hestekrop, kødet spillede i dejlige blå og røde farver. Og se, trævlerne blev ved at røre sig, fare sammen og skælve mod frostluften, de overskårne muskler krympede sig som orme i den svirpende ild. Det lange luftrør kom for en dag, kindtænderne lå synlige som fire linjer mystiske bogstaver. Der kom en fin lyserød hinde frem, den var mønstret med mangfoldige blå årer som et flodrigt land set højt oppefra. Da brystet blev åbnet, var der ligesom en hule; store hvidblå hinder hang ned, brunt og sort blod kom ud af småhuller i de årede vægge, det gule fedt stod fra loft til gulv i langelige og drivende klaser. Leveren var mere brun end alt andet brunt i verden, milten kom tilsyne blå og skimlet som natten og mælkevejen, og der var mange flere skære farver, blå og grønne indvolde, teglstenrøde og okkergule dele. Alle Østerlands frodige, rå farver; gult som Ægyptens sand, turkisblåt som himlen over Eufrat og Tigris; alle Orientens og Indiens ublu farver blomstrede ud midt i sneen under rakkerens skidne kniv.

Modern Danish pronunciation:¹

[ˈʁɑɡ̊ɐɐn ˈʋʁæð̪ˀ ɑnɐs ˈɡ̊ʁɔːˀs ˈhɛsd̥ ˈʌm pʰɔ ˈʁœɡ̊ŋ̩ ʌ b̥ˈɡ̊ønˀd̥ʌ ʌ ˈɔːb̥nə d̥n̩. ˈb̥loð̪ˀð̪̩ ˈlɔːˀ i n̩ ˈsd̥oɐ̯ˀ ˈb̥roːˀn ˈpʰøːˀl d̥ɑ ˈsm̥ɛld̥əð̪̩ sɑ ˈneð̪ˀ i ˈsneːˀn̩, d̥ɛm ˈb̥lɑɪ̯ˌʁœːð̪̩ ˈfʁɔːð̪̩ fʁœs ˈsnɑːˀd̥ tˢe ˈiːˀs. fʌ ʋɛɐ̯d̥ ˈsnid̥ æ ˈkʰniʊ̯ˀn̩ ˈʋɛləð̪̩ n̩ ˈfɑːʊ ˈuð̪ˀ æ d̥n̩ ˈd̥ɑmb̥n̩nə 'hɛsd̥əˌkʰʁʌb̥, ˈkʰøð̪ˀð̪̩ ˈsb̥eləð̪̩ i ˈd̥ɑɪ̯lii ˈb̥lɔːˀ ʌ ˈʁœːð̪̩ ˈfɑːʊ̯ʌ. ʌ ˈseːˀ ˈtˢʁɑʊ̯lʌnə b̥le ˈʋeð̪ ʌ ˈʁœːɐ sɑ, fɑːɑ ˈsɑmˀm̩ ʌ ˈsɡ̊ɛlʋə moð̪ ˈfʁʌsd̥ˌlɔfd̥n̩, d̥i ˈʌʊ̯ɐˌsɡ̊ɒːˀnə ˈmusɡ̊lɐ ˈkʰʁœmb̥əð̪̩ sɑ sʌm ˈoɐ̯mə i d̥n̩ ˈsʋ̥iɐ̯b̥n̩nə ˈilˀ. d̥e ˈlɑŋŋ̩ ˈlɔfd̥ˌʁœɐ̯ˀ kʰʌm fʌ n̩ ˈd̥æːˀ, ˈkʰenˌtˢɛnˀɐnə lɔ ˈsyːnlii sʌm ˈfiːɐ ˈlinjɐ ˈmysd̥isg̊ə ˈb̥ɔʊ̯ˌsd̥æʊ̯ˀɐ. d̥ɑ ˈkʰʌmˀ ɱ̩ ˈfiːˀn ˈlysəˌʁœð̪ˀ ˈhenn̩ ˈfʁɑmˀ, d̥ɛɱ ʋɑ ˈmønsd̥ʁɐð̪ mɛ mɑŋˈfʌlˀd̥ii ˈb̥lɔːˀ ˈɒːɒ sʌm ed̥ ˈfloð̪ˌʁiɡ̊d̥ ˈlænˀ ˈseːˀd̥ ˈhʌɪ̯ˀd̥ ˈʌb̥ə ˈfʁɑːˀ. d̥æ ˈb̥ʁœsd̥əð̪ b̥le ˈɔːb̥nəð̪, ˈʋɑ d̥ɑ ˈlisɐm m̩ ˈhuːlə. ˈsd̥oːɐ ˈʋið̪ˌb̥lɔːˀ ˈhenɐ hɑŋ ˈneð̪ˀ, ˈb̥ʁoːˀnd̥ ʌ ˈsoɐ̯d̥ ˈb̥loð̪ˀ kʰʌm ˈuð̪ˀ æ ˈsmʌˌhɔlɐ i d̥i ˈɒːɒð̪̩ ˈʋɛːg̊ə, d̥e ˈɡ̊uːlə ˈfed̥ ˈsd̥oð̪ˀ fʁɑ ˈlʌfd̥ tˢe ˈɡ̊ɔl i ˈlɑŋŋ̩lii ʌ ˈd̥ʁiːʊnə ˈkʰlæːsɐ. ˈleʊ̯ˀɐɐn ʋɑ ˈmeːɐ ˈb̥ʁoːˀn ɛn ˈælˀd̥ ˈænð̪̩ ˈb̥ʁoːˀnd̥ i ˈʋaɐ̯d̥n̩, ˈmilˀd̥n̩ kʰʌm tˢe ˈsyːnə ˈb̥lɔːˀ ʌ ˈsɡ̊emləð̪ sʌm ˈnæd̥n̩ ʌ ˈmɛlɡ̊əˌʋɑɪ̯ˀn̩. ʌ d̥ɑ ʋɑ ˈmɑŋŋ̩ ˈfleːɐ ˈsɡ̊ɛːɐ ˈfɑːʊ̯ɐ, ˈb̥lɔːˀ ʌ ˈɡ̊ʁœnn̩ ˈeɱˌʋʌlə, ˈtˢɑɪ̯lsd̥ensˌʁœːð̪̩ ʌ ˈʌɡ̊ɑˌɡ̊uːlə ˈd̥eːlə. ˈæll̩ ˈøsd̥ɐˌlænˀs ˈfʁoːð̪ii, ˈʁɔːˀ ˈfɑːʊ̯ɐ. ˈɡ̊uːˀld̥ sʌm eˈɡ̊yb̥d̥n̩s ˈsænˀ, tˢyɐ̯ˈkʰiːˀsˌb̥lʌd̥ sʌm ˈhemln̩ ʌʊ̯ɐ ˈœʊ̯fʁɑd̥ ʌ ˈtˢiːɡ̊ʁis. ˈælə ʌɪˈjɛnˀd̥n̩s ʌ ˈenˀd̥jəns ˈuˌb̥luːˀ ˈfɑːʊ̯ɐ ˈb̥lʌmsd̥ʁɐð̪̩ ˈuð̪ˀ med̥ i ˈsneːˀn̩ ɔnɑ ˈʁɑɡ̊ɐɐns ˈsɡ̊ið̪nə ˈkʰniʊ̯ˀ]

¹ The phonetic transcription follows the pronunciation of Modern Standard Copenhagen Danish as it is spoken by the younger generation (<40y). The author of the text sample, Johannes V. Jensen, spoke a more archaic dialect with a Jutlandic substratum.

English translation:

"The butcher turned the horse of Anders Grey on its back and started to open it. The blood lay in a big brown puddle that melted down in the snow, the pink foam soon froze to ice. At every cut of the knife, a colour gushed from the steaming body of the horse, the flesh sparkled in lovely blue and red colours. And look, the shreds kept moving, started and quaked in the frosty air, the cut muscles shrank like worms in the flicking fire. The long windpipe appeared, the molars were visible like four lines of mysterious letters. A fine pink membrane showed, it was figured with various blue veins like a rivery country seen from high above. When the breast was opened, it was like a cave; big white-blue membranes hang down, brown and black blood came out of small holes in the veined walls, the yellow fat extended from the ceiling to the floor in longish and wringing bunches. the liver was more brown than any brown thing in the world. The spleen came forth blue and mouldy like the night and the Milky Way. And there were many more bright colours, blue and green entrails, tile-red and ochre-yellow parts. All the luxuriant, raw colours of the East, yellow like the sand and Egypt, turquoise-blue like the heaven over Euphrat and Tigris; all the impudent colours of the Orient and India blossomed right out in the snow under the filthy knife of the butcher."

References

• Basbøll, Hans. (1985). Stød in modern Danish. Folia Linguistica, 19, 1-50.
• Basbøll, Hans (2005) The Phonology of Danish ISBN 0-19-824268-9
• Garlén, Claes (1988) Svenskans fonologi ISBN 91-44-28151-X.
• Grønnum, Nina. (1992). The groundworks of Danish intonation. Copenhagen: Museum Tuscalanum Press.
• Grønnum, Nina. (1996). Danish vowels: Scratching the recent surface in a phonological experiment. Acta Linguistica Hafniensia, 28, 5-63.
• Grønnum, Nina. (1998a). Fonetik og fonologi, Almen og Dansk. København: Akademisk Forlag. ISBN 87-500-3865-6
• Grønnum, Nina. (1998b). Illustrations of the IPA: Danish. Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 28 (1 & 2), 99-105.
• Heger, Steffen (2003) Sprog & lyd: Elementær dansk fonetik ISBN 87-500-3089-2

See also

• List of phonetics topics