Syllable patterns in São Tomé and Príncipe Portuguese: complex relationships

Abstract

In this paper we discuss syllabification in an Urban Portuguese variety spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe (PSTP). In order to do that, we analyzed some phonological processes: clusters, coda and nucleus deletions; vowel devoicing; vocalization, nasalization and rhotic posteriorization. Such phenomena, although commonly treated independently, when examined together may reflect different syllabic patterns, showing a broad and complex view of the system. In fact, the phonological phenomena study in PSTP indicates two paradoxical grammatical trajectories: the prevalence of CV syllables triggered by deletions and lenitions, in which closed syllables adapt to open syllables, and the emergence of complex structures caused by sibilants resylabification and by vowel deletion. These contrasting trajectories reflect the difficulty of traditional proposals in explaining the variation observed in PSTP, making it necessary to approach the issue by models based on use, which accommodate the variation, and encompass the complexity of the linguistic systems.