How did medieval Spaniards and Portuguese say 'r' and what does it tell us about Latin?

How were the “r” sounds pronounced in Old Spanish and Galician-Portuguese? In this video, we explore the history of Iberian rhotics: the alveolar tap [ɾ], the alveolar trill [r], and how the familiar Spanish contrast between pero and perro may have developed from an older Latin distinction between single and double “r”. We begin with Latin, where the difference between ⟨r⟩ and ⟨rr⟩ was probably not originally a simple tap-versus-trill contrast, but rather a contrast between a single rhotic and a geminate or lengthened rhotic. From there, we trace how this older system developed into medieval Iberian Romance, especially Old Spanish and Galician-Portuguese. Old Spanish already seems to have had a recognisable weak-versus-strong rhotic contrast: single ⟨r⟩ between vowels was probably pronounced as a tap [ɾ], while double ⟨rr⟩ represented a strong rhotic, probably an alveolar trill [r]. Galician-Portuguese shows a similar pattern, although the phonological interpretation may be more complex, with ⟨rr⟩ perhaps preserving traces of the older Latin geminate system. Along the way, we compare modern Spanish and Portuguese, look at medieval spelling, and explain why modern Portuguese guttural “r” sounds are a later development rather than the medieval starting point. This video is for anyone interested in Spanish historical phonology, Portuguese historical phonology, Galician-Portuguese, Latin pronunciation, Romance linguistics, medieval Iberian languages, and the history of the rolled r. Follow us on Instagram to get to know us better and to join our club:   / gregorycordeiro5     / languagelearnersza   #spanish #english #portuguese #italian #french #history #booktok #booktube #historicallinguistics #languages #languagelearning #español