Re: [X] vs. [x]

From: "Paul Roser" <pkroser@...>

> In addition to Yupik, Inupiaq, Nivkh, and Kabyle (Berber) that Danny
> mentioned, the Siberian language Itelmen and many, if not all, of the
> Caucasian languages make a distinction between velar and uvular
> fricatives, and a few also have pharyngeals as well. Burkiqan Agul (sp?)
> has, if I recall correctly, velar, uvular, epiglottal, and pharyngeal
> fricatives, which is probably the most distinguished by any one language.
I checked the data I have (mostly found online) on North Caucasian - Ubykh
did have velar and uvular fricatives, but the eleven other languages I know
of (Abkhaz, Abaza, Adyghe, Kabardian, Chechen, Ingush, Avar, Lak, Dargwa,
Lezgian, Tabasaran) don't make the distinction; the fricatives are all
uvular. I did see something on Agul somewhere having all those guttural
fricatives; wasn't it the UPSID survey?

Squamish, a Salishan language, has /x_w/, /X/ and /X_w/, but not /x/. I
think this is the case for most languages in that family.

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