Re: New Language - Altsag Venchet

Christophe Grandsire wrote:

>   If "n" is
> > followed
> > >by "g", it assimilates into "ngk".
> > >
> >
> > That seems pretty weird. And the correct term in this instance is
> > "dissimilation", since "k" is less similar to "n" (or "ng") than is
> > "g",
> > since "k" is unlike both "g" and the nasals is voiceless. Not
> > impossible,
> > but pretty high on the weirdity scale.
> >
>
>Actually, it is both assimilation and dissimilation, since we have
>here /n/+/g/ -> [Nk]. And actually, I don't see what's weird in that at
>all. We
>would have /n/ + /g/ -> /Ng/ and then the g dissimilated in voice in order
>to
>stay heard, or else it would have had the tendency to disappear. It's quite
>a
>normal behaviour I think.
He had already mentioned the nasal's assimilation in POA earlier, and that
kind of assimilation is of course very common. OTOH, I don't think I've seen
the dissimilation bit before.


                                            Andreas

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