Re: New H/G lang?

Ed Heil wrote:

> I was under the impression that "Glottalic" and "Ejective" were two
> terms for the same phenomenon -- a consonant produced with glottalic
> egressive initiation.  What's the distinction?
Ejectives are a subset of glottalic consonants. Glottalic consonants
are simply just consonants that use the glottis in manipulating the air
stream. Ejectives are specifically consonants where the air flow is
progressing outward, while another subset, ingressives, have the air
flowing in over the glottis.

(Theoretically, a language could have ingressive pulmonic consonants
too, but I don't think there is any attested language which features such
a contrast.)

An interesting feature of ejectives is that they are (almost) always
voiceless, while ingressives are (almost) always voiced. (Apparently,
the Mayan language Mam has simple nonaspirate voiceless ingressives,
laut my linguistics professor.)

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
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Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

Denn wo Begriffe fehlen,
Da stellt ein Wort zur rechten Zeit sich ein.
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