Alçamento de vogais pretônicas

Abstract

Abstract: This paper discusses the pretonic vowels [e] ~ [i] and [o] ~ [u] alternation in the coloquial register of the Belo Horizonte metropolitan region. It argues that:

a) The above mentioned alternations have the status of línguistic variable and so can not be described by categoria morfo-fonological rules;

b) the structural enviroment isn't the same in the variable (i) and (u) conditioning, making clear that for each variable there is a rule with particular caracteristics.