Re: A bunch of phonological questions

> 2. Affricate implosives
> I know a few languages have affricate ejectives, but are affricate
> implosives found anywhere? And might they end up "reversed"? At least
> I find [zd)_<] easier to pronounce than [dz)_<]...
>
THe wiki says:

"Implosive affricates and fricatives are extremely unusual. Imploded
affricates occur in Kung-Ekoka
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung-ekoka_language> and Hendo
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hendo&action=edit> (a Bantu
language). Several Central Sudanic languages
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Sudanic_languages>, such as
Mangbetu
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mangbetu_language&action=edit>,
have implosive labiodental fricatives, which are "strongly imploded, the
lower lip briefly pulled back into the mouth."

As always, accuracy is not guaranteed.... however, "The Sounds of the
World's Languages" (Ladefoged and Maddieson) agrees that they occur and
gives the example of Gitskan. I think that two sources is enough to say
they probably do occur.


> 3. Laterals
> a) What's the difference between lateral release and a lateral affricate?
An affricate has friction, so for instance the lateral affricate
commonly written tl in languages like Nahuatl is /tK)/. A laterally
released stop lacks the fricative release of an affricate I think, and
is basically formed by releasing the stop by lowering the sides of the
tongue instead of the whole tongue but without the friction.

> b) Are /K K\/ considered sibilants or spirants?
>
> John Vertical
>
>
I don't think they're sibilants, since the air isn't escaping quickly
through a narrow channel but from both sides of the tongue.