Timing Constraints within Gestures: Toda sibilants and Tibeto-Burman Voiceless Nasals
Peri Bhaskararao, ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
The phonetic structures of a language often involve articulatory gestures in which the
components have tightly constrained timing relations. For example, aspirated stops
require precise timing of the gesture for voicing in relation to the movements of the
articulators whereas 'pre-aspiration' (as in Icelandic) might not have such a rigid
constraint. Affricates involve timing constraints within the movements of a single
articulator that forms first a stop stricture leading into a fricative stricture. Timing
sequences of opening of velic stricture vs. oral stricture in Tibeto-Burman languages
such as Mizo, Khonoma Angami, Burmese might differ in minute degrees. This talk will
present constraints of such kinds and also illustrate a type of 'tapped-affricate' of
Toda that we believe has not been observed before.
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