Vowel Reduction in Bulgarian and its Implications for Theories of Vowel Production: A Review of the Problem

Phonological vowel reduction in Bulgarian is discussed, distinguishing between formal & informal speech & dialectal & standard forms. The Bulgarian vowel system is presented, with an evaluation of the articulatory models of Bulgarian vowel production, & a description of the orthographic representation of the "indeterminate vowel." Alternations between stressed & nonstressed vowels in informal Bulgarian are listed. The dialectal, morphological, sociolinguistic, & stylistic aspects of vowel reduction in Bulgarian are discussed - it is found that the extent of vowel reduction varies considerably, depending on stylistic, dialectal, & morphological constraints. The articulatory pattern of the Bulgarian indeterminate vowel is defined & the phonetic solutions of vowel reduction in Bulgarian are considered.