--- In cybalist@..., "Richard Wordingham" <richard.wordingham@...>
wrote:
> > Where are all the dorsals gone? Here, the initials include 50%
(!)
> of labials, 30% of coronals and 20% of velars.
>
> I could claim there was one lurking in Warlpiri 'maligi', rather
like
> the one lurking in 'mitakeu' of Lavukaleve (East Papuan):)
Cancel smiley face! Alert men in white coats!
Warlpiri (Pama-Nyungan) ------------------------- maligi
Lavukavele (East Papuan) ------------------------ mitakeu
Sanskrit/Pali (TBC) (Indo-European) ------------ *s(')anukha
Russian (Indo-European) ------------------------- sobaka
On the other hand:
Anindilyakwa (Australian) ---------------------- wuruwad.e
Ama (Left May) --------------------------------- VlOwO:u
Portuguese (Indo-European) --------------------- cachorro
Reckoning 20% probability of a guttural, the probability of getting
one of a 4-3, 5-2 6-1 or 7-0 split on whether the third syllable
begins with a guttural is only 3.3%. Striking out *s(')anukha on the
grounds of possible cognacy with sobaka does raise the probability to
9.9%.
Richard.