Does /e/ split into four vowel phonemes in Western Almeria? Effects of /s/, /r/, and /θ/ deletion in this variety of Eastern Andalusian Spanish

As documented by several scholars, such as Wulff (1889) and Navarro Tomás (1938), Eastern Andalusian Spanish (henceforth EAS), neutralises most consonants in coda position. However, there is no consensus on the effects that consonant deletion has on surrounding vowels. Researchers of EAS, such as Mondéjar Cumpián (1979), have distinguished between two types of vowels in this variety of Spanish: vowels in coda position and vowels followed by a deleted consonant. However despite the neutralisation of most consonants in coda position in EAS, phonemic value has only been given to vowels preceding deleted /s/, as in Salvador Caja (1950) and Carlson (2012). This paper expands on the traditional view on vowel doubling in EAS and shows evidence of a more complex phenomenon previously undescribed: the division of /e/ into different phonemes as a result of different consonant deletion. This paper will analyse the differences between word-final /e/ and /e/ preceding deleted word-final /s/, /r/, and /θ/ (/es/, /er/, and /eθ/, respectively) in order to determine if the deletion of these consonants causes consistent changes of quality to /e/, thus creating a new system of mid front vowels.