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Whistling Shibilants in IPA?

From:Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>
Date:Friday, July 9, 2004, 16:30
So, a while (=few years) ago we were talking about Tuvan throat singing
here, and someone posted the URL of a website (or maybe i went looking
for it?) with instructions about how to produce the multilayerd sound.

Now, a "while" later, while i still don't know whether the "whistling
that sounds like Scary Alien Beez" (in the words of a friend) is
actually a form of Tuvan Throat Singing or not, but i like the sounds
(both voiced and voiceless) so much that i want to add them to the
phonemic inventory of a conlang.

I just don't know how to describe it.

It feels like a modified /S/ or /Z/ (depending on voicedness), with the
tip of the tongue rising towards the alveolar ridge and the deep back
of the tongue retreating pharyngealwards slightly.
So what is it?  An apical /S/?  A /s/ with retracted tongue root?  An
apical /S/  with slight pharyngealization?  Maybe a laminal /s/ with
raising?
Help! :-P  (please?)


-Stephen (Steg)
  'your whistling sounds like scary alien bees!'
      ~ my friend h

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Emily Zilch <emily0@...>Whistling Shibilants; Xtra points for Geekdom contest