Re: Lateralization

Basilius wrote:
(snip a very good explanation)
>
>4) the way I was tought to pronounce ejectives by a Georgian speaker.
>
>His instructions (for glottalized [t']) were roughly as follows:
>
>a) make your tongue to form an occlusion, as if preparing to pronounce
>a [t], so that no air could pass through it;>
I would add here: simultaneously close the glottis.

>b) prepare to push air out, gradually increasing air pressure in your
>throat;>
This is done, in fact, by raising the larynx-- put your fingers on your
Adam's apple, and you will definitely feel it rise.  (Conversely, for an
imploded stop, the larynx is lowered, as you can also feel.)  (8-year olds,
and the Spike Jones Orchestra, make these sounds with abandon; it's only
when we get older and don't want to appear ridiculous that they seem
difficult...;-)  )

>c) now make the air to break through very abruptly, jumping to the
>fully voiced vowel articulation. If you manage it properly, you'll
>feel something *like* a glottal stop coinciding with vowel onset;>
Yes.  The sudden release of the pressure at the primary closure (lips,
alveolum, velum etc.) gives them that distinct popping effect (though that
may be a non-native impression-- see next).

>d) you are nearly there. What you've got is an unnatural, hypercorrect
>Georgian [t']. Now you only need to relax and repeat it with less tension,
>without screaming like mad.>
Those of us who don't routinely produce ejectives probably have way too much
tension.....
(snip some more)

>>Glottalized stops are indeed different from clusters with glottal stop.
Yes indeed.  With fingers on the A.Apple, you will feel no up-down motion in
clusters like [ap?a] or [a?ba] etc.