The phonetic realization of the plain uvular /q/ in a variety of South Bolivian Quechua

This paper presents an acoustic description of the production plain uvular /q/ in speech eight speakers South Bolivian Quechua. While this sound patterns phonologically as a stop, its primary realization is voiced continuant. Variation documented with respect to segmental and prosodic position. Segmentally, continuant most common intervocalically after rhotic, while voiceless comparatively more frequent sibilant, stops are nasal. In post-pausal position, productions still attested particularly for certain speakers, suggesting that category has been reanalyzed For other stop or preferred reflecting standard prosodically conditioned lenition pattern. Interestingly, also show increased frequency The analyzed spontaneous collected interview format, well scripted from word list task. A second analysis compares three /p t k/ language speech, finds significantly /q/.