Re: Labial zones (and some info on my lang)

Daniel Seriff wrote:

> First the question: Are there any natlangs that do not have sounds in
> the bilabial and labiodental zones? I'm trying to make my language's
> phonology less English-like (and more interesting in the process).
Actually, yes, there are a few around.  When we were discussing
Atkan Aleut phonology in class the other day, one of the interesting
things about its grammar is that the *only* labial sounds that exist
in native vocabulary are nasal ones (Atkan Aleut has both voiceless
and voiced bilabial nasal stops, but no [p], [b], [P], or [B]!).  Just
by coincidence, the other language we will be studying this semester,
Onandaga, from New York State, also lacks bilabial consonants
except for the nasals.  (I believe in both languages there are actually
examples of other bilabial consonants, but these are always from Russian
or English for the former, or from French or English for the latter).

But our professor noted that this is indeed an extremely rare
phenomenon.  As for labiodentals, there are plenty of languages
that lack those:  Hawaiian, for example.

=======================================================
Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and
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spirits at the dawn of day. - Thomas Jefferson
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