Syllable-Initial /N/
From: | Nik Taylor <yonjuuni@...> |
Date: | Tuesday, April 1, 2003, 7:32 |
Christophe Grandsire wrote:
> Well, it all depends on whether you want to go for exoticness (from a European
> point of view) or not. If so, take [N] (your NG) and allow it at the beginning
> of syllables :)) . If not, [w] will do :)) .
Ivetsian, a descendant of Uatakassi, has lots of syllable-initial /N/,
because of a sound change that caused /g/ to become /N/ in most
environments. I haven't figured out exactly which environments, or what
happened to the other instances of /g/ if there are restrictions. I do
know that /g/ does not exist in Ivetsian (altho [g] may well exist as an
allophone of /k/).
/N/ in non-English positions can be fun. :-) It's a great way to make
an alien-sounding word without hard sounds. :-) Like, take gazh
(/NaZ/), the word for "world" in Ivetsian.
/gl/ became /dl/ which in turn became /dK\/ -> /K\/ (that's voiced
lateral fricative if I got the symbol wrong)
--
"There's no such thing as 'cool'. Everyone's just a big dork or nerd,
you just have to find people who are dorky the same way you are." -
overheard
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