Re: /s/ -> /h/ [was: Re: Betreft: Re: k(w)->p]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Constructed Languages List [mailto:CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU]On
> Behalf Of dirk elzinga
> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 3:37 PM
> To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU
> Subject: /s/ -> /h/ [was: Re: Betreft: Re: k(w)->p]
>
>
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2000, yl-ruil wrote (concerning /s/ -> /h/):
>
> > I think this change occurs generally because s is voiced to z,
> which then
> > weakens to h-. This is also really quite common in the
> indo-european family:
> > *sawelios --> Greek. helios and Welsh haul (sun, obviously).
>
> There is no evidence for an intermediate voiced stage in the
> alternation between /s/ and /h/. In fact, such a step would make
> the change less likely. What /s/ and /h/ have in common is the
> spreading of the vocal folds during articulation--in fact,
> that's all an /h/ is; spread vocal folds. This spreading
> inhibits voicing (actually, makes it impossible). The lenition
> of /s/ to /z/ puts it on a different path whose endpoint is not
> likely to be /h/.
While I agree with you that *s did not go through *z to become h, I wonder
how you can say that a voiced /h/ sound is impossible; it's used in Indic
languages and even in English in words such as ahoy (though I can't tell a
difference).

Indeed, when *s becomes *z and then something else, it seems to usually
become r, as in Latin and some of the Germanic languages.

Eric Christopherson
raccoon@elknet.net