Tongue dorsum location and tongue root retraction in alveolar and palatal clicks in the endangered language N/uu

Abstract

Traill (1985) describes Xoo clicks as having velar posterior constriction locations (PCL). Miller et al. (to appear) show that the PCLs of Khoekhoe alveolar and palatal clicks are uvular and uvulo-pharyngeal. Ladefoged and Maddieson (1996) discuss clicks involving a uvular posterior release location (PRL) (and an implied velar PCL). An ultrasound investigation of velar and uvular pulmonic stops, alveolar and palatal velar clicks, and palatal uvular clicks, in the endangered language N/uu is presented. Results are for 15 repetitions of each consonant in the u context by four of the remaining speakers. The alveolar click has the tongue dorsum (TD) between the velar and uvular stops, and tongue root retraction (TRR) like the uvulars. The TD in the palatal click is also similar to the velar and uvular stops, but there is no TRR. The TD in the uvular palatal click is at the uvulo-phrayngeal location, and there is TRR similar to the uvular stop, in both the closure and the release. TRR in the alveolar-uvular and palatal-uvulo-pharyngeal clicks explains their phonological patterning with uvulars. The lack of TR retraction in the palatal click explains its patterning with velars. [Work supported by NSF, BCS ♯0236735.]

Differences in airstream and posterior place of articulation among Nǀuu clicks

“…At least since Doke (1923), the phonetic literature has assumed that all basic click types are produced with a velar posterior place of articulation. Miller, Namaseb & Iskarous (2007) have, however, shown that the palatal and postalveolar clicks in Khoekhoe in fact have different posterior places of articulation, and we will see that the same is true in N|uu (Miller et al 2006). Our first goal here is to provide evidence supporting our claim that the posterior constrictions in N|uu alveolar [!]…”

“…This runs contrary to descriptions dating back at least to Doke (1923). Like Miller, Namaseb & Iskarous (2007) and Miller et al (2006), we use ultrasound data to show that the central alveolar [!] and palatal [ ] clicks differ in the position of the tongue root and that both have post-velar places of articulation.…”

Paralinguistic Use of Clicks in Chad

“…Like any other click, [ʞ] is produced with an ingressive velaric (or lingual, cf. Miller et al 2006, Miller et al 2007) airstream. The oral cavity is closed in two places: at the back and at the front of the mouth.…”