Quantity and laryngeal contrasts in Norwegian

This paper reports on the results of an investigation of the fortis–lenis contrast in stops and the complementary quantity contrast in Norwegian and compares these same contrasts in two dialects of Swedish. The data show that in initial position one series of stops has consistently long-lag Voice Onset Time (VOT) and this series is also voiceless in post-vocalic position, often with some preaspiration. The other series can be produced with either prevoicing or short-lag VOT in initial position and is almost always fully voiced in post-vocalic position. These results support the claim that both phonological features [voice] and [spread glottis] are active in Norwegian. The quantity contrast (VC: vs. V:C) was robust for all speakers, but the durational difference between the two quantity patterns was greater for females than for males. Overall the durational difference between the two quantity types in Norwegian was found to be similar to that in Central Standard Swedish, but not as great as in Fenno-Swedish. •We investigate the laryngeal and quantity contrasts in (Trøndelag) Norwegian stops.•Utterance-initial lenes have prevoicing or short-lag VOT; fortes are aspirated.•The majority of post-vocalic lenes are fully voiced, fortes are often preaspirated.•Quantity contrast is robust for all speakers.•We argue that both [voice] and [spread glottis] are active in Norwegian.