h- vs. x-aspiration in LDN

[Kathleen Shea]

I've noticed a very "strong" aspiration, verging on x, in Ponca after t
before low back vowels, for instance in the word for 'Arapaho':  maxpi'
atHaN.  One speaker I work with says this means "standing on the clouds,"
(verb tHaN).

By the way, what is the etiquette when referring to speakers of a language
we're studying?  Should we protect their privacy by not mentioning their
names or should we give them credit for their valuable assistance?

Kathy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Koontz John E" <John.Koontz at colorado.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 9:29 AM
Subject: Re: h- vs. x-aspiration in LDN


> On Mon, 19 Feb 2001, Constantine Xmelnitski wrote:
> > As is known, Lakhota dialect of Dakotan has two
> > variations of aspirated stops : weak (h-like), and
> > strong (x-like). ...
>
> In Dhegiha Osage has velar aspiration with p, t and k, i.e., not with c
> (ts), which occurs instead of t before i, e, u.  If velar aspiration
> occurs before i, e and, I think, u, i.e., after p and k, but not t, the
> velar is x palatalized to s^.  So, ps^e, che, ks^e, ps^i, chi, ks^i, but
> aNpxaN, petxaN, (a)kxa.  Of course, the bulk of Dakotan aspirates and
> stop-stop cluster correspond to tense stops in Dhegiha, and these manifest
> in Osage as preaspirates, which lack velarization.  Only a small
> percentage of Dakotan aspirates correspond to (the few) aspirates in
> Dhegiha languages.  In fact Dhegiha th generally matches h in Dakotan (cf.
> pehaN for petxaN above).  MaNtho 'grizzly' has th in both.  I believe Kaw
> is generally like Osage in having velar aspiration (except for having c^
> affrication instead of c affrication), but Omaha-Ponca and Quapaw have
> laryngeal aspiration.
>
> I gather that velar aspiration also occurs in some other families, e.g.,
> Athabascan, but I have never tracked down the details.
>
> Apart from this, in Indo-European, compare High German pf, ts, kx as
> developments of ph, th, kh.  You might call this "homorganic" aspiration.
> I have also seen a discussion of ancient Greek corrspondence sets with ps,
> ts, ks corresponding to aspirated ph, th, kh elsewhere in ancient Greek,
> suggesting a sort of "sibilant" aspiration.
>