For words ending in "-ity" is it ~t or ~d

Mark Mandel thnidu at GMAIL.COM
Mon Jun 18 02:54:43 UTC 2007


I have sworn off arguing with Mr. Zurinskas, but somewhat aslant of this
topic I'll say that a velar *trill* is possible though difficult. I doubt
that any real language uses it, but I took the alien interjection
"Kkkkkkkk!" (in C.J. Cherryh's Chanur books) as a challenge, purely for
fannish linguistic fun. By tightening the tongue muscle just posterior to
the place of articulation and using more pulmonic force than is normal, it
is possible to trill the body of the tongue at the velum or the hard palate.

m a m

On 6/16/07, Paul Johnston <paul.johnston at wmich.edu> wrote:
>
> As someone trained in  phonetics:  "K-flap"???? That part of the back
> of the tongue can't flap.  Do you mean a velar fricative?  Or a
> uvular trill?  Say what?
>

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