Amaya, Amaia (Pronunciation)

[Милан]

I would like to know how do you pronounce surname Amaya/name Amaia in your variant of Spanish? Do they sound the same? I know that Uruguayans and Argentinians make a distinction.

Amaya IPA: [a'maʃa] or [a'maʒa], ah-mAh-shah or ah-mAh-zhah if you don't understand these IPA symbols

Amaia IPA: [a'maja], ah-mAh-yah

I think (?) Colombians also make a distinction. I've heard their Y and LL (at least for yeístas) sound like English J in John IPA: [dʒ ]. So,

Amaya IPA: [a'madʒa] ah-mAh-jah English J

Amaia IPA: [a'maja] ah-mAh-yah

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Do Spaniards, Mexicans and people from Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cosra Rica, Panama) make a distinction?

Wikipedia says [aˈmaʝa]for Amaya.

I understand the difference between these two sounds/symbols [j] and [ʝ] but I don't think you really use [ʝ] in Spanish. I don't hear it.

Thanks.

 

[Mister Draken]

Ni siquiera dentro de Argentina todas las personas pronuncian la "y" de igual modo (depende de cada región). Incluso hay diferencias en la pronunciación de esa letra según la clase social. Una vez hecha la aclaración, sí, el mayor porcentaje de la población de Argentina vive en zonas de yeísmo (a mi entender, en la ciudad de Buenos Aires y la provincia de Buenos Aires es muy marcado). Espero que te sirva la respuesta (en lo que concierne a Argentina).

 

[Aviador]

Me temo que en mi variedad del castellano, el de Chile, no hay unanimidad y en ella encontrarás todo tipo de realizaciones. Por ejemplo, para ayer he oído aquí [a'jer], [aʝer], [a'ʒer] y [a'dʒer]. Según mi experiencia, hay, en general, preferencias por clase social. Son más habituales entre las personas de clase "popular" los fonemas [ʒ] y [dʒ].
Yo, al menos, pronuncio Amaia y Amaya exactamente igual: [a'maja]. De hecho, en todas las palabras en que se encuentra la secuencia y+vocal, mi realización para y es [j]: yo [jo]; ayer [a'jer]; cayendo [ka'jendo]. Debo advertirte, eso sí, que no soy yeísta y hago la distinción entre [ʎ] para ll y [j] para y: pollo ['poʎo]; poyo ['pojo], algo que no es habitual en el castellano de Chile.

 

[Милан]

Gracias a los dos.
I understand Spanish but I don't speak it.

Me temo que en mi variedad del castellano, el de Chile, no hay unanimidad y en ella encontrarás todo tipo de realizaciones. Por ejemplo, para ayer he oído aquí [a'jer], [aʝer]
Debo advertirte, eso sí, que no soy yeísta y hago la distinción entre [ʎ] para ll y [j] para y: pollo ['poʎo]; poyo ['pojo], algo que no es habitual en el castellano de Chile.

Do you have audio of [aʝer] or any word with Y pronounced as ʝ , maybe in a song or from Chilean TV?
Sorry for off-topic, do other Chileans find strange your [ʎ] for ll?

 

[Aviador]

... do other Chileans find strange your [ʎ] for ll?

A few have noticed and expressed their surprise. I have had to explain that this is in part because of Catalan being my "second mother tongue" and in part because of my own commitment to preserve this particular feature of the Spanish language that I like so much. Most of the time, though, it passes unnoticed because I try to be subtle and, specially in quick everyday speech, I manage to camouflage it among the other sounds .
About examples of the particular sound for y in Chilean Spanish (well educated, middle class, urban speakers), I once included an example of it in another thread of these forums: Chilean y semivowel. The pronunciation for ll is normally the same.

 

[jsvillar]

In Spain we pronounce it as it is written. We never write 'amaia' and pronounce 'amaya', neither the other way. The only confusion is that in fast speech the 'y' might sound similar to the 'i'.

In the Basque Country it is a common name, written and pronounced 'Amaia'.
In the south is a common surname written Amaya, and since it that area they strees the 'll/y' a lot, they pronounce it 'Amaja'.
In all Spain it is a name and surname, not too common but normal. Again, depending on how it is written you pronounce it or [j]