Re: [tied] Re: p/k, celtic

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 12120
Date: 2002-01-22

The inherent instability of labiovelar segments has been noted by phoneticians studying modern languages. It is difficult to synchronise the two components (bilabial and dorso-velar), and the labial element tends to dominate the acoustically salient release phase. Phonemic /kW/ may easily produce variants like [Kp] (prevelarised labial) or [pW] ("emphatic" labial with a rounded offglide), either of which can be misheard as [p].
 
Piotr
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Re: p/k, celtic

*gW > b even in Q-Celtic (but *ghW > b in P-Celtic only).

The change of labiovelar to labial also occurred much later and
independently within the Latin-Faliscan branch of Italic, specifically
in Romanian and Sardinian. This shows that the sound change in
question is quite a natural one.