syllable-initial aspiration

[idiez at MAC.COM]

Listeros,
        I've got a problem. I have/had pretty much decided to use Carochi's 
spelling conventions for writing modern nahuatl. This means that the 
aspiration/glottal stop is represented with a grave accent over the 
preceding vowel. This is cool, since it normally occurs as the last 
consonant of a syllable which is followed by another consonant 
(ni-yà-qui, nic-qual-chì-chi-huaz, etc.). In a few instances, it occurs 
before two vowels (àacatl, for example), and is poses no problem for 
the accent. However, I have two example of what seem to be aspirations 
at the beginning of a syllable. If these are indeed the aspiration 
consonant, and not just another consonant whose sound has been modified 
(such as the first of two /k/s being pronounced as an aspiration 
(niccacqui, I heard it), then I'm going to have to find another way of 
representing it in writing. The two examples are (I use an "h" to 
represent the aspiration here):
1. noha (still, todavía) This is not like ah-a-catl. The aspiration 
supposedly only followes short vowels, and the "o" of "noha" is long.
2. cenha (the same, igual, lo mismo)
        Any ideas?
John

John Sullivan, Ph.D.
Profesor de lengua y cultura nahua
Centro de Estudios Prospectivos
Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas
Director
Instituto de Docencia e Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas, A.C.
Francisco García Salinas 604
Colonia CNOP
Zacatecas, Zac. 98053
México
Oficina: +52 (492) 768-6048
Celular (desde México): 044 (492) 544-5985
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idiez at mac.com
www.idiez.org.mx