o/u

[Swanton, M.]

Back in 1962 Gunter Zimmermann and Hansjakob Seiler wrote an article in the
IJAL on "orthographic variation o/u" using Molina and Gaona as a corpus.
Apparently Zimmermann worked through all of these two works and examined
where <o> and <u> appeared.  In some environments there was never any
variation and only <o> appeared (such as at the end of words or before a
<t>), in others there could be alternation between <o> and <u>.  If I
understand them correctly, they found that often <u> appears before a
continuant (for example before <tl>, vexutl; <x> amuxtli; <ch> muchihua...).
There also seems to be some conditioning by labials. It too bad that they
didn't take vowel length or accent into account in their analysis.  I do
find the Germans' data suggestive that the orthographic <o / u> in Classical
Nahuatl might be representing allophonic variations of /o/ and /o:/.  How
does this resonate with modern forms of Nahuatl?


-----Original Message-----
From: idiez at MAC.COM [mailto:idiez at MAC.COM]
Sent: woensdag 15 september 2004 16:47
To: NAHUAT-L at LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: o/u


Is there an explanation about when the "o" is pronounced with a "u" 
sound? Mario just mentioned that it is for long "o"s, but I know from 
experience that this is not so.
John

John Sullivan, Ph.D.
Profesor de lengua y cultura nahua
Unidad Académica de Idiomas
Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas
Director
Instituto de Docencia e Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas, A.C.
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