Re: Velarization

>I'm wondering, are there any natural languages that contrast velarized
>consonants with anything *but* palatalized consonants? I'm familiar
>with Russian, and know that velarization versus palatalization is
>relatively common--and now I'm curious about what other things
>velarization might contrast with.
>
>I also know about the English light and dark "l". Is there anything
>else? (Preferably more extensive?)
>Katya
Well, there's St'at'imcets, which has velarized /tS S l ?l/:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%27at%27imcets_language

And Marshallese, which is a similar system to Irish / Russian, but with
labialized series too, and cuppled with a vertical vowel system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshallese_language

I also recall passingly reading of a West African language which has
velarized labials corresponding to the labiovelars of the rest of
Niger-Congo, but I'm not so sure about that.

HTH

John Vertical