Words ending on i/u, spoken with (IPA) [ɪç] – is there a system?

Question

I noticed that sometimes words ending on i or u are spoken with an additional breathing sound, comparable to the german 'ch' in diminutives.I.e. (presumed IPA notation) /o.si/ -> [o.sɪç] /i.si/ -> [i.sɪç]I established so far that there seems to be a regional and a situational bias determining which pronunciation is preferred, but nothing I could say with any kind of certainty.Can anyone shed some light on this phenomenon?

Answer 1

This is a stylistic choice subjective to each person and situation. I understand your observation, and have witnessed the same occurrence. It often applies to the final word in a sentence or a single word, in which a certain fluidity serves to amplify the effect of word. For example, when asking someone the location of someone or something, if the response given was: ‘perdu’, meaning ‘lost’, with a breathy, fluid extension of the ‘u’ sound, especially as a single word in response to such question, the trailing, almost whistling musicality of the sound serves to illustrate the uncertainty embodied by the word, illustrating to what degree the responder is uncertain. Generally speaking, the liaison of French pronunciation lends itself to a greater fluidity in sound than in English pronunciation.