Labiovelars

I have a few comments regarding the change kw > p.
In fact, stops that are produced with very different articulators are
not very different from an acoustic point of view. The main cue for the
hearer to discriminate these sounds is the coarticulation that
influences the vowels, known as the transition. Basically, p and kw
have the same influence on vowels, that is, they lower both first and
second formants. The burst in itself is not a good clue to
differentiate these cosonnants. Now, I suggest the change was first the
lost of the tongue-root articulation, but maintaining of the labial
articulation. In an orthographic notation, that would be kw- > pw-, not
w because the presence of a burst is still required. Then, pw-
dissimilates to p- and the earlier disitinction between initials kw-
and p- is lost. Maybe this intermediate stage is not required at all,
simly because pronouncing pw- is not possible in the language in
question, or becquse there qre no diffrences between pw- qnd p-

Guilaume