Re: NATLANG: Velar nasals in Japanese, and coda moras.

Lars Henrik Mathiesen wrote:
> Right. I didn't think a syllabic nasal would assimilate. So I guess
> it's really /ri-n=-gM/ = [ri-N=-g(M)].
It does, actually.  _anta_ would be [a-n=-ta], _sanbiki_ would be
[sa-m=-bi-ki].  When not followed by a consonant (i.e., word-final or
intervocalic), it alternates between several realizations, including
nasal version of the preceding vowel, like _san_ [saa~]

> A thought: If final /M/ is dropped in /-CM/, is /-C/ still a mora? Or
> do you get [ri-N=g] in two moras?
I don't think you CAN drop /M/ after voiced consonants, and it's rare
after voiceless ones, being more often simply voiceless, like [bokM_0]
for "boku".  As I understand it, _su_ is often pronounced as a kind of
moraic /s/ word-finally or preceding voiceless stops, but with other
consonants its usually simply voiceless.

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