Summary Details
| Query: |
Click Origins
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| Author: | Mark Jones | |
| Submitter Email: | click here to access email | |
| Linguistic LingField(s): |
Historical Linguistics
Phonetics Phonology |
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| Summary: |
Regarding query: http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-481.html#2
Dear all, Some time ago I posted a query asking for details on hypotheses that click consonants in Khoisan languages may have originated from labial-velar stops (LINGUIST List: Vol-16-481. Wed Feb 16 2005). Both labial-velar stops and labial clicks involve velar and labial constriction. A superficial articulatory parallel is clear, though it should be noted that labial clicks are apparently the rarest of all clicks in terms of places of articulation. I attributed the hypothesis that there might be a connection to Klaus Kohler (1998: 267), who speculates positively about it, and Peter Ladefoged and Ian Maddieson (1996: 340), who take pains to draw a clear distinction between the phonetic realisation of labial-velars and similar articulatory manoeuvres in labial clicks. My query asked whether anyone had any further information about this hypothesis, and also about the possible origins of the labial-velars themselves, including fortition of a labial-velar approximant. Marie-Lucie Tarpent at the Department of Modern Languages, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada commented on her impressions of strongly articulated /w/ as an idiosyncrasy in some speakers of English, an articulation which she imagined was close to that required for a labial-velar stop. Marie-Lucie also pointed out that when Romance languages borrowed words such as ���war��� from Germanic speaking tribes (possible *werra), the borrowing involved a /gw/ cluster, e.g. Spanish ���guerra���, French ���guerre���(now both simply initial /g/) and Italian ���guerra��� (still /gw/). More Canadian responses, this time from Dr. Bruce Connell at York University, Toronto, who set out the orthodox view of the origins of labial-velar stops. These originate from increasing overlap of sequential velar and labial gestures: kua > kwa > kpa. This developmental sequence, as well pw, bw > kp, gb, is also mentioned by Dr Mike Cahill at SIL International in Dallas, Texas, USA. More details can be found in: Cahill, M. (1999). ���Aspects of the phonology of labial-velar stops.��� Studies in African Languages 28.2: 155-184 Connell B (1994). ���The structure of labial-velar stops.��� Journal of Phonetics, 22: 441-476 Connell B (1998/9). ���Feature geometry and the formation of labial-velars: a reply to Mutaka and Ebobiss��.��� Journal of West African Languages and Linguistics, 27.1: 17-32. Ponelis, F. (1974). ���On the dynamics of velarization and labialization: Some Bantu evidence.��� Studies in African Linguistics, 5.1: 27-58. Bruce Connell mentioned evidence for this process in Igbo dialect variation, and also occasional realisations of /w/ as the reflex of /gb/. On the hypothesis that clicks might arise from labial-velar stops, Bruce pointed out that if this were the case, we might expect to find that clicks were more common than they are. Mike Cahill commented that /kp/ and /gb/ may both merge as /gb/, or become /p/ and /b/. A development to velars, i.e. /kp/ > /k/ etc., is apparently less frequent. Mike also pointed out that voiced labial-velars may be produced with an implosive airstream (larynx lowering). On the click-labial-velar hypothesis, Mike noted that no languages have both, but that if labial clicks do originate from some kind of articulatory mistiming of the labial and velar gestures, a shift from labial click to other click types is then required. The origin of labial-velars seems agreed as originating from increasing overlap between labial/velar stops and a following /u/ or /w/. It should be noted that this gestural overlap by and of itself would not result in two simultaneous closures ��� some ���gestural enhancement��� must also occur to result in complete labial occlusion in /kp, gb/ from labial approximation for /w/ in /kw, gw/, and to result in complete velar occlusion in /kp, gb/ from velar approximation for /w/ in /pw, bw/. The point made in the query and echoed by Mike Cahill ��� that any clicks resulting from labial-velar stops would be labial, and that labial clicks are themselves rare ��� remains a problem, though one which can be countered in two ways: 1) Perceptual reanalysis of click place of articulation ��� this does happen in attested cases of variation with click places of articulation (���click replacement��� see Traill and Vossen 1997); 2) Triple closures with labial clicks, producing posterior and anterior lingual closures at the same time as labial closure (noted in Ladefoged and Maddieson 1996: 352). The rarity of labial clicks could then be due to them being the source of other click types. But then we are still faced with the recurring problem, noted again by Bruce Connell, of why clicks are not more widespread. Many thanks to the respondents for their assistance. Watch this space for more details: http://kiri.ling.cam.ac.uk/mark/ClickOrigins.html Mark J. Jones References Kohler, Klaus J. (1998). ���The development of sound systems in human language.��� In James R. Hurford, Michael Studdert-Kennedy, and Chris Knight (eds.) Approaches to the Evolution of Language. Cambridge, UK: CambridgeUniversity Press, pp. 265-278. Ladefoged, Peter, and Ian Maddieson (1996). Sounds of the World's Languages. Blackwells. Traill, Anthony, and Rainer Vossen. (1997). ���Sound change in the Khoisan languages: new data on click loss and click replacement.��� Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 18: 21-56. |
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| LL Issue: | 16.941 | |
| Date Posted: | 28-Mar-2005 | |
| Original Query: | Read original query | |
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