Articulatory characterization of the alveolar sibilant fricatives of Basque: Part one

An articulatory analysis of the two alveolar sibilant fricatives of Basque (<z> and <s>) is presented, based on fifteen collections of 2D and 3D magnetic resonance images. By applying a set of phonetic, qualitative and quantitative parameters, two articulatory models for <z> and three for <s> are identified, and the procedures used to distinguish between them are examined. The main models are: dorsal denti-alveolar for <z> and apico-alveolar for <s>. Due to its length, the work is presented in two separate parts.