Eigentlich / ei’entlich (pronunciation)

[msfeather12]

I have heard eigentlich pronounced with a very clear “g” sound and with no “g” sound at all. Does this represent formal vs informal speech, or perhaps regional dialects? Danke!

PS: I have heard it pronounced both ways for this same sentence: Wie heißt du eigentlich?

 

[manfy]

Yes, those were regional, dialectal versions.
"Eigentlich" with the g pronounced as in 'again' is the standard version, but in some regions the g in the middle of a word can be pronounced like a German ch, or sch, or a j.

 

[msfeather12]

@manfy Thank you!

 

[Hutschi]

Yes, those were regional, dialectal versions.
"Eigentlich" with the g pronounced as in 'again' is the standard version, but in some regions the g in the middle of a word can be pronounced like a German ch, or sch, or a j.

Basically I agree. But in such regions it can also go into a different accent of standard language. It is used in dialect or is a relict of dialect.

What’s The Difference Between A Language, A Dialect And An Accent?

Bottom Line: Many non-academic articles might use the words interchangeably, but for the most part, accent is how a person pronounces words and dialect includes a person’s pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.

 

[JClaudeK]

"Eigentlich" with the g pronounced as in 'again' is the standard version, but in some regions the g in the middle of a word can be pronounced like a German ch, or sch, or a j.

A complete elision as in "ei’entlich" is not possible.

​

 

[Frank78]

A complete elision as in "ei’entlich" is not possible.

Would you hear any difference between "eientlich" and "eijentlich"?

 

[berndf]

Would you hear any difference between "eientlich" and "eijentlich"?

I think so, yes. There is a syllable break in front of the j and a j in the syllable onset is easy to identify (unless the nucleus is an i which is not the case here).

 

[Frank78]

I think so, yes. There is a syllable break in front of the j and a j in the syllable onset is easy to identify (unless the nucleus is an i which is not the case here).

But "Eier" also sounds like "Ei-jer"

 

[berndf]

But "Eier" also sounds like "Ei-jer"

True, but the sound transcribed "j" in eijentlich isn't a [j] but a [ʝ].

By the way, more often than not I pronounce Eier [aɪ̯.?ɐ] and not [aɪ̯.jɐ] and I don't think, I am the only one:
bunte Eier pronunciation: How to pronounce bunte Eier in German.

 

[bearded]

Would in some German regions the name of Mountain Eiger also sound Eier/Eijer like the eggs?

 

[berndf]

If the Eiger were located 500km further north, maybe. But as in eigentlich, it would be a [ʝ] and not a [j].

 

[Hutschi]

I think so, yes. There is a syllable break in front of the j and a j in the syllable onset is easy to identify (unless the nucleus is an i which is not the case here).

Ich höre keinen Unterschied zwischen Eier und hypothetisch: eijer.
I do not hear a difference. "Eier" is the German spelling for hypothetical "Eijer".

[ˈaɪ̯əʁ], [ˈaɪ̯ɐ] Eier – Wiktionary

Edit:
However: the "ei" might be pronounced as German "e" rather than [ˈaɪ̯] in some accents.

A complete elision as in "ei’entlich" is not possible.

 

[Hutschi]

Would you hear any difference between "eientlich" and "eijentlich"?

I would not hear a difference in standard pronunciation.
However I would hear a difference to ei'entlich.

If the Eiger were located 500km further north, maybe. But as in eigentlich, it would be a [ʝ] and not a [j].

What is

[ʝ]

- Does it appear in hypothetical "eijentlich"?

 

[berndf]

Does it appear in hypothetical "eijentlich"?

That is not hypothetical but an existing pronunciation and I would say yes. The palatalised spirantised /g/, i.e. [ʝ], may merge with [j] in the same way as it did in English where young and yellow start with the same sound although the former is an etymological /j/ and the latter an etymological /g/.

But I think in German accents that have the palatalised spirantised /g/ without unvoicing, this merger can happen only at the beginning of the word or after a consonant but not intervocalically, where it remains a fricative.

 

[Hutschi]

That is not hypothetical but an existing pronunciation and I would say yes.

I was not clear enough. I meant in hypothetical standard spelling.

Thank you for explanation. I try to search for sound examples.

 

[berndf]

What is [ʝ]

[j] and [ʝ] have broadly the same place of articulation. The difference is that the former is an approximate and the latter is a fricative. [ʝ] is the voiced counterpart of the ich-Laut. That is why with devoicing eijentlich becomes eichentlich and with ch-sch-merger, as it exists western and southern Central German dialects. it becomes eischentlisch (voiced in southern Central German dialects like Hessian) or eischentlich. This explains the three variants @manfy mentioned in #2.

 

[Hutschi]

According to

eigentlich - Wiktionary
the pronunciation is usually:

• IPA(key): /ˈaɪ̯ɡəntlɪç/, [ˈʔaɪ̯ɡ(ə)ntlɪç], [ˈʔaɪ̯(ɡ)ŋ̍tlɪç]
  • (commonly) IPA(key): /ˈaɪ̯ŋk(l)ɪç/, /ˈaɪ̯ntlɪç/, /ˈaɪ̯ŋɪç/
  • (very rapid speech) IPA(key): /ˈaŋ(ɪ)ç/

But I know people from Magdeburg pronouncing it similar to German "j".

 

[berndf]

/ˈaɪ̯ntlɪç/

Good point. This is a colloquial contraction (reduced from 3 to 2 syllables) but not a dialect variant.

 

[Hutschi]

Danke.

Ich habe recherchiert.
"j" statt "g" kommt häufig im Berliner Dialekt vor, wieweit es in den standardsprachlichen Akzent gelangte, weiß ich nicht.

• Eijel -> Egel
• Eijentum -> Eigentum
• Eijerkopp -> Dickkopf

I have researched a little bit. “j” instead of “g” is common in the Berlin dialect, how far it reached the standard language accent, I do not know.

Eijel -> leech
Eijentum -> property
Eijerkopp -> stubborn

Note: "Ei" is pronounced (probably) in another way than in standard language, too.

 

[Frieder]

/ˈaɪ̯ŋklɪç/ that's how I normally pronounce it. - "Wie geht's dir denn eigentlich?"
/ˈaɪ̯ɡəntlɪç/ when it is at the beginning of a sentence (i.e. stressed). "Eigentlich wollten wir doch gestern ins Kino gehen, aber ..."