Re: k(w)->p

Nik Taylor wrote:

>/kp/ --> /kw/, on the other hand, I find hard to picture.  Epenthetic
>vowel /k@p/ or simplification (/k/ or /p/), or even a click /p!/ I find
>reasonable descendents of /kp/, but not /kw/.
If /kp/ and /kw/ are consonant clusters, then the change from the
former to the latter may not be that plausible (although /p/ -> /w/
is found in some languages).  However, if /kp/ is a doubly-articulated
stop and /kw/ is a labialised velar stop - i.e., if both are treated as
single segments - then the change seems entirely plausible to me.

Matt.