Diatopic variation and the change process in the social valorization of progressive palatalization in Alagoas

Abstract

We investigate the progressive palatalization of alveolar occlusives preceded by /j/, as mui [ʧ] o and doi [ʤ] in Alagoas, based on theoretical-methodological assumptions of the variational sociolinguistics. We aim to analyze the diatopic distribution of palatalization and the social and linguistic pressures in the process. We analyzed 4,046 occurrences in interviews of 168 speakers from 7 cities in Alagoas, using multilevel logistic regression. We conclude that the process is diatopically conditioned, extending from the west to the east and northeast of the state. It is concluded that the process is inversely proportional to schooling and that the interference of schooling increases as the speaker’s age decreases, revealing a process of change in the social value of palatalization. There is evidence that, although it is significantly more productive in Alagoas, the palatalization should not expand over time due to social pressures. Regarding linguistic variables, the process is favored within the word, although it also occurs at the border of lexical items. The next favoring vowel is the vowel /i/, which reveals the interference of the double presence of the [+ coronal] trace in adjacent environments. The absence of voicing in the target consonant and syllable atonicity also favor palatalization.