Re: Alternation of Airstream

David J. Peterson wrote at 2005-10-20 11:07:58 (-0700)
 > Veritos (?) wrote:
 > <<
 > Yet another of my odd ideas (the previous was the sign-language as
 > vocal language concept).  I was thinking of having an alternating
 > airstream, so you speak as you both exhale _and_ inhale.  In this way,
 > you could breathe without pausing.  Sure, it sounds weird (eigh
 > mhhhidd yee-elp = I need help), but would it be the slightest bit
 > feasible?
 >  >>
 >
 > According to Jack Black, yes.  This is called using ingressive air,
 > and it certainly can be done (go ahead, try it), but no language
 > uses it productively (that is, for the whole utterance, rather than
 > just implosives).

The point is less that it isn't used for a whole utterance, than that
no language has ingressive _pulmonic_ phonemes.  That is, initiated by
inhalation into the lungs.  Implosives and clicks are ingressive
sounds, but the initiation is glottal or velar respectively.

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