query: clicks used "paralinguistically"

[David Gil]

[Apologies to those who have already seen an earlier version of this query.]

In English, there is a sound, written either "tsk-tsk" or "tut-tut",
which is a dental click, symbolized as "|".  Its use is as an
exclamation, expressing disapproval, impatience, mockery, or, more
generally, what might be characterized as "negative affect".

The purpose of this query is to explore the cross-linguistic
distribution of click sounds, such as "|", in "non-click-languages",
used to express various notions of negativity, or opposite positive notions.

The English "tsk-tsk" occurs also in French, German and Japanese.
However, in Russian, similar negative affect may be expressed either
with "|" or with a lateral click "||".  Interestingly, in a contiguous
zone including Southern Italian dialects, Greek, Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic
and Persian, the "tsk-tsk" sound is associated with a somewhat more
grammaticalized function: simple logical negation.  Thus, in response to
a yes-no question, a dental click is an appropriate answer, meaning,
simply, "no".   Conversely, in some languages of Central and West
Africa, including Beja, Koromfe and Fula, there are two distinct click
sounds, one for "no" and another for "yes".  Further to the east, in
some languages of Southeast Asia and Oceania, including Kammu, Lao,
Maybrat, Saliba and Paamese, clicks are used to express positive, rather
than negative affect.  And in yet others, such as Minangkabau and
Jakarta Indonesian, different clicks are used to express negative and
positive affect.

My questions are the following:

(1) In the language(s) you are familiar with, does there exist a click
sound with a meaning broadly associated with logical negation (as in
Hebrew), negative affect (as in English), logical affirmation (as in
Beja), or positive affect (as in Kammu)?

[Please note:  I am also particularly eager to collect *negative* data,
ie. claims (provided they are solid and robust) to the effect that a
certain language does NOT have any click sounds associated with such
functions.]

If your answer to (1) is yes, then ...

(2) What are the phonetic properties of the click sound?  (Is it dental
like English "tsk-tsk", lateral as in Russian, etc.?  Is it usually
uttered once or repeated?)

(3)  How is the click sound used?  What does it express?

Any other related comments, ideas, and so forth, would also be greatly appreciated.

As of now, I have data on 100 languages, but there are still lots of
gaps in my coverage.  In particular, I have no data whatsoever on any of
the languages of Australia, so, even though they're not Austronesian,
maybe some of you Australians can help me out.


**********

Appendix:
Here are some references for clicks in non-click languages:

[1]  Darwin, Charles (1872) "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and
Animals", D. Appleton and Company, New York.

(Available online at
http://paradigm.soci.brocku.ca/~lward/Darwin/darwin00.html,  chapter 11
mentions "clucks" associated with gestures for "no")

[2]  Morris, Desmond, Peter Collett, Peter marsh and Marie O'shaughnessy
(1979) "Gestures", Stein and Day, New York.

(Maps the geographical distribution, within Europe, of 20 different
gestures, one of which, the "Head Toss", also involves the dental click.)

[3] LINGUIST List 3.1012, Wed 23 Dec 1992, Sum: Yes/No Gestures

(Available online at http://linguist.emich.edu/issues/3/3-1012.html,
mentions the "tsk tsk" sound with the meaning of negation.)

I'd also be grateful for any additional references on this topic.



--
David Gil

Department of Linguistics
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Inselstrasse 22, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

Telephone: 49-341-9952321
Fax: 49-341-9952119
Email: gil at eva.mpg.de
Webpage:  http://monolith.eva.mpg.de/~gil/