Phonetic variation in Scottish Gaelic laterals

• I analyse productions of Scottish Gaelic's 3 laterals among four groups of speakers.
• Overall three laterals are produced distinctly.
• Some young speakers show only 1 or 2 distinct laterals.
• Some young speakers show phonetic influence from English in lateral production.
• Results are explored with reference to language revitalisation, contact, and change.

This paper is an acoustic investigation of laterals in contemporary Scottish Gaelic. Scottish Gaelic is described as having three phonemic laterals /l̪ˠ l̪ʲ l/, which have previously been the subject of small-scale acoustic and static palatographic work. I expand on previous acoustic studies, including static and dynamic formant measures, and consider data from the diverse contemporary Gaelic-speaking population including [1] older speakers in a Gaelic-heartland area, [2] middle-aged speakers living in Glasgow, [3] adolescent speakers in immersion education in a heartland area, [4] adolescents in immersion education in Glasgow. Results suggest overall maintenance of the triple lateral system, but with substantial variation in the production of (phonemically) palatalised laterals in particular, which some young Glaswegians do not produce. These results are discussed with reference to language change in language revitalisation contexts, language contact, and modes of acquisition in revitalisation contexts.