Glottalic Pressure Stops

 

 

Ejectives

p' t' k' q'

contrast with plosives in various languages:

Caucasian, East Asian, American, African

[baka]
[ak'a]

Gestural composition

Constraints on gestural timing


[at'a]


Languages differ in the timing of the laryngeal gesture with respect to the oral constriction gesture. Above example like timing found in Hausa (Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Nigeria) and K'ekchi (Mayan language spoken in Guatemala).

Lakhota (Siouan language spoken in North America) shows timing more like that below:



Why are ejectives voiceless?

Can there be glottalic pressure fricatives?

 

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