LL-L "Phonology" 2005.05.14 (07) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 14.JUN.2005 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Phonology" 2005.05.14 (05) [E]

Críostóir, this gradual running from one sound into another also occurs in
Afrikaans as in the p's as in "padda". The first consonant [d] starts off as
a sound
similar to /r/ and then ends as a clear [d] in the second consonant and is
often
eventually pronounced by many as [para].

I think the same occurs with koddig /ko?dig/ and bottel /bo?el/.

Is this what you're after?

Regards,
Elsie Zinsser

[My question to the list is: what sounds (excluding loans) occur only once
in
your language / variant, according to rules similar to the above? And why do
you all think the sounds developed?]

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Hi, Elsie!

The same happened in a number of Low Saxon varieties; e.g., _vadder_
['fa43`] 'father', _vedder_ ['fE43`] 'feather'.  The sound (SAMPA [4], IPA
fish hook r) is close to [r], is pretty much the same as the Japanese,
Korean and American "tap" (as in "better," "fodder," etc.).  In some
varieties it has been reanalyzed and consequently phonemized as /r/; thus
_varrer_, _verrer_.  In other varieties it has been phonemized as /l/; thus
_valler_, _veller_.

I find it interesting that it occurs in both Afrikaans and Low Saxon under
pretty much the same conditions.  I wonder if it does in some other Low
Franconian varieties.

I can think of a "unique" sound in Afrikaans.  Well, at least it's fairly
rare in Germanic, I believe.  It's a voiced /h/ (pronounced as voiced in
most environments): SAMPA [h\], IPA hooktop h.  Other Germanic varieties
have only voiceless /h/ (SAMPA/IPA [h]).  While in Afrikaans this voiceless
/h/ is an allophone of /h/, it is a manifestation of former /g/ in Czech and
Slovak:

Russian /g/ > [g]*
Ukrainian /g/ > [G]
Belarusian /g/ > [h\]
Czech-Slovak /g/ > [h\]**
Upper Sorbian /g/ > ([h\] >) [h]***

* Some dialects have [G] or [h\] (Interestingly, Russian renders foreign /h/
as <g>.)
** e.g. Praga > Praha 'Prague'
*** The last shift is likely to be due to German influence.

This voiced /h/ commonly occurs in Sanskrit (<ह> vs voiceless _visarga_ <ः>)
and some other Indic languages, such as Mewati.  It occurs in Korean (<ㅎ>)
and in numerous Chinese varieties as well.

I sometimes suspect that this is how /g/ is pronounced in some Flemish
dialects in which the [G] has been softened, often perceived as "h".

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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