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Re: sound change question

From:Roger Mills <romilly@...>
Date:Monday, July 21, 2003, 5:23
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.

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Sylvia Sotomayor <kelen@...>