Re: Xhosa?

In a message dated 9/24/01 4:50:38 PM, zsau@YAHOO.COM.AU writes:

<< And on a related note, if ever I try to say Xhosa, the o becomes nasalised.
Is this some weirdness that only I suffer from, or is it normal (even if
not correct). If your wondering, my history teacher (from South Africa)
regularly mentions the word as she teaches us about the apartheid regime,
and understandably everyone tries to mimick the click. >>

    There's quite a sensible reason, actually.  In order to produce a click
you use the velaric airstream mechanism (as contrasts with pulmonic and
glotallic), which means that you close off the back of your throat with the
back of your tongue touching your velvm, and your velvm lowering slightly to
meet it.  You then close off some other part of your mouth (say, by putting
your tongue to your alveolar ridge, closing your lips, etc.), so that when
you open it, the built up air comes rushing out producing the click.  In
isolation, this is fine.  When, however, you try to use it like a consonant an
d a vowel comes after it, there's a problem.  Your velvm is still slightly
lowered, allowing the initial burst of air from the lungs to escape through
the nasal cavity.  The vevm then quickly closes (provided the vowel isn't
supposed to be nasalized, or it isn't followed by a nasal segment, which it
isn't in Xhosa), so that no more air escapes.  Thus, you get a kind of nasal
release, rather than a nasal vowel.  If you hold your finger under your nose
as you say it, you'll notice that there's just a sort of release of air, and
it doesn't resonate the way, say, the "o" in the French "bon" does.
    Wow!  Ling. 110 is already paying off! ~:D

-David