Differences in airstream and posterior place of articulation among Nǀuu clicks

Abstract

This paper describes the consonant inventory of the endangered southern African language Nǀuu. Our novel approach to segment classification accounts for all 73 Nǀuu consonants with just four phonetic dimensions (place, manner, phonation, airstream) and does away with the phonetically empty categoryclick accompaniment. We provide ultrasound data showing that the posterior constrictions in clicks are not produced at the ‘velar’ place of articulation, and that posterior place differs with anterior place. We therefore argue for a terminological shift fromvelarictolingualairstream mechanism. Our data also show that the posterior place of articulation is the same in Nǀuu's five lingual ([⊙ ǀ ǃ ǁ ǂ]) and linguo-pulmonic ([]) stops. We argue that the difference between these segment classes is best captured in terms of airstream, not place. Plain clicks use only the lingual airstream, while linguo-pulmonic segments are airstream contours, in which the transition to the pulmonic airstream occurs within the segment rather than at its boundary. Our evidence suggests that the contrast between ‘velar’ and ‘uvular’ clicks proposed for the related language ǃXóõ is likely also one of airstream and that a contrast solely in terms of posterior place would be articulatorily impossible.

Can a Click be a Word?: Infants' Learning of Non‐Native Words

“…N|uu is an endangered language spoken in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Tuu language family. N| uu was chosen for the present study because its phonological inventory has recently been documented and recorded by Miller et al (2009). The click words used in the present study were actual N|uu words, [!a] meaning "hartebeest," and [||u] meaning "grasshopper."…”

“…The N|uu stimuli were recorded by Ouma Katrina Esau, a female native speaker of N|uu, for Miller et al (2009). In the recordings, the speaker uttered the phrase (in N|uu) "Now I say .…”

Posterior lingual gestures and tongue shape in Mangetti Dune !Xung clicks

“…The use of the term velar has been carried into phonological representations, where clicks have been described using the feature [+back], grouping together clicks and [k] into a single natural class. Miller, Namaseb and Iskarous (2007) and Miller, Brugman et al (2009) have provided lingual ultrasound studies of the posterior constriction locations of clicks in Khoekhoe and N|uu. Due to the 30 fps frame rate that was used in these earlier studies, there was a great degree of variability in the constriction location results.…”

Writing Khoisan: harmonized orthographies for development of under-researched and marginalized languages: the case of Cua, Kua, and Tsua dialect continuum of Botswana

“…G|ui, !Xõõ, and a few other languages with small numbers of speakers appear contrast velar and uvular places of articulation in clicks. Most other Khoisan languages do not appear to contrast these places of articulation in clicks (see Miller et al 2007Miller et al , 2009Collins and Namaseb 2011). These issues pose challenges not just to phonology but when a writing system is considered.…”