Portuguese remnants in the Spanish of Olivenza (Extremadura)

Abstract

Olivenza Spanish (OS), spoken in the border zone between Extremadura and Alentejo, is characterized by salient phonological features that can plausibly be interpreted as long-term effects of Portuguese-Spanish bilingualism. We present the results of a formant analysis of unstressed /o/, which is raised to [u] in a quarter of OS cases, and discuss selected outcomes of recent (supra)segmental studies on the variety in question. It is argued that the respective findings speak in favor of interpreting OS as the result, first, of L1 transfer that occurred during the processes of L2 acquisition by the inhabitants of Olivenza after its incorporation into Spain in 1801, and second, of the local dialect’s subsequent convergence with the dominant variety, Castilian Spanish.