On Sunday 20 July 2003 10:23 pm, Roger Mills wrote:
> Thomas Wier wrote:
>
> > Quoting Sylvia Sotomayor <kelen@...>:
> >
> > > So, Kélen has five stops:
> > > p (labial) t (dental) ts* (alveolar) c (palatal) k
(velar)
> > > (*ts is often just [s] but is still counted as a stop.)
> > > I've been contemplating some sound change with the goal of getting
rid
> > > of [p]. Which would be more reasonable?:
> > >
> > > p t ts c k becoming
> > > k t ts c q or becoming
> > > kw t ts c k
> >
> > I think probably the first set, where *p becomes /k/. Arapaho
> > underwent a similar process on its way from Proto-Algonkian.
> > It's reasonable to think that a pull-chain effect might have
> > started with *k becoming [q], leaving an opening for *p to fill.
> > It's an unusual change, but I know of no natural language that
> > would take *p and turn it into [kw] -- quite the opposite change
> > would be expected.
>
> Agreed. Evidently you want to keep it as a stop; my first thought was
for
> it to > fricative [P] or [f], then/or > h, then/or 0. All widely
attested.
>
That is possible, though I'm getting rid of [m], too. [w] will stay,
however. I'm thinking of turning [l] or maybe [r] into something else
as well. Any ideas?
--
Sylvia Sotomayor
sylvia1@ix.netcom.com
kelen@ix.netcom.com
Kélen language info can be found at:
http://home.netcom.com/~sylvia1/Kelen/kelen.html
This post may contain the following:
á (a-acute) é (e-acute) í (i-acute)
ó (o-acute) ú (u-acute) ñ (n-tilde)