Re: A sound change question...

Quoting Garth Wallace <gwalla@...>:

> Muke Tever wrote:
> > From: "Peter Bleackley" <Peter.Bleackley@...>
> >
> >>Staving E. Notagain:
> >>
> >>[kw] -> [p]
> >
> > If we're throwing in clusters, dont forget [tw] > [s] and [kw] > [t], both
> > from Greek.
>
> Those three seem strange. How are they explained?
The first, [kw]/[k_w] > [p], is not so strange, and is well-attested.
It occurs simply by fusing some of the features of the two elements/
segments into one segment:  the feature [-continuant] (i.e., stopness)
and [-voice] from the [k] and the feature [labial] from the [w].

The other two are more strange, but not unbelievable.  I don't know
the particular history of the changes he's mentioning, but [tw] > [s]
might be from two distinct that happened changes in Greek: [w] > null,
and [t] > [s] / _i.   I'm not sure about [kw] > [t] -- does Peter have
a citation for that?

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Thomas Wier            "I find it useful to meet my subjects personally,
Dept. of Linguistics    because our secret police don't get it right
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