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Vertical, monovocalic and other impossible vowel systems: a review of the articulation of the Kabardian vowels.

Wood, Sidney A J LU (1991) In Studia Linguistica 45(1-2). p.49-70
Abstract
The North West Caucasian language Kabardian has a minimal vowel system, the analysis of which has engendered significant controversy. Phonetically, Kabardian is interesting for the extensive assimilation of its few vowel phonemes to the surrounding consonants. Two published descriptions of these assimilations by J. C. Catford ("The Kabardian Language," Maitre Phonetique, 3rd series, 1942, 77, 15-18) & A. H. Kuipers (Phoneme and Morpheme in Kabardian, The Hague: Mouton, 1962) are compared, & the articulatory processes involved are reinterpreted in terms of gestures that shape & tune the vocal tract. The unexpected complexity of the assimilations is accounted for through the spectral ambiguity of some palatovelar &... (More)
The North West Caucasian language Kabardian has a minimal vowel system, the analysis of which has engendered significant controversy. Phonetically, Kabardian is interesting for the extensive assimilation of its few vowel phonemes to the surrounding consonants. Two published descriptions of these assimilations by J. C. Catford ("The Kabardian Language," Maitre Phonetique, 3rd series, 1942, 77, 15-18) & A. H. Kuipers (Phoneme and Morpheme in Kabardian, The Hague: Mouton, 1962) are compared, & the articulatory processes involved are reinterpreted in terms of gestures that shape & tune the vocal tract. The unexpected complexity of the assimilations is accounted for through the spectral ambiguity of some palatovelar & pharyngovelar configurations. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Studia Linguistica
volume
45
issue
1-2
pages
49 - 70
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84981632652
ISSN
1467-9582
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a4ca514f-8f03-4a64-b9d0-18dbc2a33c95 (old id 135333)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:07:00
date last changed
2021-01-03 06:16:52
@article{a4ca514f-8f03-4a64-b9d0-18dbc2a33c95,
  abstract     = {{The North West Caucasian language Kabardian has a minimal vowel system, the analysis of which has engendered significant controversy. Phonetically, Kabardian is interesting for the extensive assimilation of its few vowel phonemes to the surrounding consonants. Two published descriptions of these assimilations by J. C. Catford ("The Kabardian Language," Maitre Phonetique, 3rd series, 1942, 77, 15-18) & A. H. Kuipers (Phoneme and Morpheme in Kabardian, The Hague: Mouton, 1962) are compared, & the articulatory processes involved are reinterpreted in terms of gestures that shape & tune the vocal tract. The unexpected complexity of the assimilations is accounted for through the spectral ambiguity of some palatovelar & pharyngovelar configurations.}},
  author       = {{Wood, Sidney A J}},
  issn         = {{1467-9582}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{49--70}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Studia Linguistica}},
  title        = {{Vertical, monovocalic and other impossible vowel systems: a review of the articulation of the Kabardian vowels.}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{1991}},
}