Roots ending in "X" ("hard H") tend towards disgust?

[Alina Israeli]

>What may be interesting here is the attitude of English-speakers to the
>voiceless
>velar fricative, which, although it is still phonemic in certain varieties,
>is exotic in most others.
>
>In English speakers' perceptions of German*, Scots, Welsh, and Gaelic it is
>a salient feature.

Not only.

My native language is Russian. When a classmate from Berlin tried to teach
me ach-laut, I felt quite a bit of embarrassment. She was modeling it on
the sound of clearing a throat and spitting. And since I resited doing it
publicly, she insisted on repetition till I performed it to her perfection.

**************************************************************
Alina Israeli
LFS, American University                phone:  (202) 885-2387
4400 Mass. Ave., NW                     fax:    (202) 885-1076
Washington, DC 20016

aisrael at american.edu

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