Re: Phonology sketch

Henrik Theiling wrote:

> > Onsets:
> > /p p_l t t_w tK  tS tS_w k k_w/
> > /b b_l d d_w dK\ dZ dZ_w g g_w/
> > /P P_l T T_w s s_w K h/
> > /m m_l n n_w  n_l/
>
>I like the design.  Especially when comparing with some Salishan
>languages, is does not feel at all far-fetched -- the lateralisation
>is a nice extension.  Have you considered adding ejectives and/or
>uvulars?  It would fit, I think, again with Salishan languages in
>mind. :-)
I'm not too familiar with that family. I recall them having lots of
affricates, glottalization and uvulars. (And polysynthesis, but that's not
really in the question here.) Wouldn't hurt to look closer, I gess.

Uvulars still probably won't make it here; I don't have anything against
them per_se, but I just find them not fitting euphonically together with
many other sounds or features.


> > I'm also thinking a third stop series might fit in, but I can't think
> > what it could be. Hmong has prenasalization, but I'm not trying to
> > make a clone of it. Ejectivs don't feel like they'd fit well together
> > with lateralization,
> >...
>
>Ah, you have.  Why not?  I can pronounce it and the ejective lateral
>affricate /tK)_>/ at least is quite common. :-)
/tK)_>/ is not really the issue (altho ejectiv affricates _are_ among the
most difficult sounds for me); it's /p_l_>/ that sounds a bit, er, silly.
There is the ol' "labial ejectivs may be missing from an otherwise regular
system" loophole, but this phonology was supposed to have a prepondence of
labials over dorsals, and that would go counter to that emphasis.

Maybe the extra medial series are already enuff after all; there's still
room for tweakery with the plosiv coda.


>As to prenasalisation, I am very fond of it as an allophonic variant
>of voiced stops.  I think Hakka has it, I'm not completely sure; it
>was a Chinese language on Taiwan, IIRC. (...)
>
>**Henrik
Not at least according to Wikipedia; but coïncidentally, it does seem to
have a "partially complementary" distribution of plosiv finals... might be
worth a shot to look into Middle Chinese etc. to see how that came along.

John Vertical

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