Re: Lateral Plosive

Hi!

Dan Sulani <dansulani@...> writes:
>...
> How does all this differ from a lateral click?
A lateral click is totally different: you start off with a velar
closure and put the tongue close to top of the mouth and then pull
down the left and right edges of the tongue where you'd pronounce a
lateral .  This release makes air suddenly get in between the tongue
and the palate, which can be perceived as a click.

Now, you're stuck with a velar closure which you have several options
to release.  Clicks are usually complex because these options are
extensively used by the corresponding languages to make different
phonemes.  You can silently open it, or as a plosive (voiced or
voiceless), or as an affricate, or a fricative.  Ju'|hoansi allows
voiced/voiceless-plosives (those that start voiced and end voiceless)
and contrasts these with plain voiced and plain voiceless.
Accordingly, it distinguishes these three plosive releases for all its
clicks.

Further, during a velar closure, you can produce the nasal [N] while
doing all this, so a click usually at least is a duplicate
articulation: one in the mouth, one at the velum.  Sometimes, more
complicated tertiary articulation is added by additionally closing the
glottis to make an ejective release at the end.  Another tertiary
articulatory option would be an aspirated plosive release.

In total: awefully complex if your mothertongue does not support this!

**Henrik