Re: An Introduction to C'ali: Phonology

Quoting Dirk Elzinga <Dirk_Elzinga@...>:

> At 11:59 PM -0500 8/4/02, Thomas R. Wier wrote:
> >The only real oddity is that C'ali distinguishes between
> >aspirated and unaspirated glottalized stops;
>
> This is odd. Aspiration is usually taken to be the result of an
> active vocal fold abduction gesture; this has the result of delaying
> VOT. Glottalization is the result of an adductive vocal fold gesture.
> So what you seem to be suggesting here is that the vocal folds
> simultaneously spread and constrict, which is not possible. Perhaps
> these are really clusters of aspirated stop and /?/ or glottalized
> stop and /h/.
Right -- I should have been more explicit that my little chart
was about the distinct *phonemes* in C'ali.  They are phonetically
realized as you say, as an aspirated stop plus /?/.  Another
interesting case I found today while perusing Peter Ladefoged's
website:

<http://hctv.humnet.ucla.edu/departments/linguistics/Vowelsand
Consonants/appendix/languages/gimi/gimi.html>

Gimi here has, *phonologically*, voiced glottal stops.  This is
of course phonetically impossible, and are realized as voiced
glottal approximants.  They just pattern along with the voiceless
glottal stops.

(I must promise myself never to write so close to bedtime again.)

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier
Dept. of Linguistics  "Nihil magis praestandum est quam ne pecorum ritu
University of Chicago sequamur antecedentium gregem, pergentes non qua
1010 E. 59th Street   eundum est, sed qua itur." -- Seneca
Chicago, IL 60637