Re: Arabic

On Wed, Nov 21, 2001 at 03:19:22AM -0500, David Peterson wrote:
> <If that doesn't work, just pretend you're
> > choking.
>
> ..so your listener will, out of concern for your life, perform the Heimlich
> maneuver on you and anything pharyngealized you had to say will be forgotten
> or
> at least anti-climactic, thus saving you from making the effort.>>
>
> HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh, man, that's rich!
>
> Anyway, on a more important topic, I'm going home for Thanksgiving (American pagan
> holiday typified by the stuffing of a bird called "turkey". The stuffer then
> thanks the turkey and there is much rejoicing), so this is the last time I'll
> be checking my e-mail until Monday. So if anyone wants to send me anything
> for the conlang class, please send it to languation@aol.com, so's it doesn't
> get lost. Thanks all. :)
Hope you don't need a Heimlich! :D Happy Thanksgiving, and the same to other
American conlangers (heck, even to the non-Americans if they wanna take
part).

ObArabic: That "choking" description has never helped me. I was taught that
if someone's choking they can't make any vocal sounds. If it's more like
gagging or clearing one's throat, that I could imagine. But that sound is
still one I can make in isolation but not inside a word. The other idea I
have for what pharyngealization *might* sound like is the noise Homer
Simpson makes when he thinks of something tasty. Know the one? Am I nearly
correct here?

--
Eric Christopherson, a.k.a. Contrarian Conlanger Rakko ^_^