Regional pronunciation of "ll": [j] vs [ʎ]

Question

I'm well aware that ll may be pronounced differently according to regions. We already have this question on the most common pronunciations of [j] and [ʒ]. But I've come across a couple examples on forvo.com that sound to me like a [ʎ]. The profile of the Alius92, the speaker in question says he's in Mexico City.

Many of his contributed words feature the ll, and many include what sounds to me like the [ʎ] pronunciation.

Examples:

• camello
• caudillo
• Maillín

Is this an accepted pronunciation? Is this just an odd speaker? Or perhaps his recording equipment is just bad?

If this is a common pronunciation, where is it typically found? Many months in Mexico DF tell me it's not common there, despite this speaker's profile on forvo! Is there a name for this pronunciation variation?

Answer 1

That isn't [ʎ] but a hypercorrective [lj], often used by yeístas when trying to imitate non-yeísta pronunciation, such that I hear camelio, caudilio, etc. Mexico is fully yeísta, so such a pronunciation (or even as [ʎ]) can be generally assumed to be affected speech.

Speakers who distinguish ll [ʎ] from y (in its diverse regional pronunciations) didn't traditionally have a name, as that was the standard pronunciation. But now that most people are yeísta, the term lleísta has come to be used.

Answer 2

I think he's an odd speaker. I'm a native speaker and I live near DF. I also hear [ʎ]. I'm not even able to say that words like Alius92. His profile says that his from mexico but his pronunciation of detallazos is like pronunciation from spain using [θ] instead of [s]. So I definitely think it is not a common pronunciation in Mexico, and maybe, nor spanish speakers in general.