Re: Note on palatals

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Andrew Jarrette <anjarrette@...>
wrote:

>
>
> Actually, upon further reflection I realized that I can only
>remember hearing this variant after /i(:)/, especially in the names
>Annika and Mikael, two Swedish friends of mine from some time ago. I
>should not have said "many" Swedish speakers.

Your virgin ears may have detected something there. The thing is that
i is extremely pointed by many speakers, in some dialects something
like Québecois "titubant" or "Abitibi". The i can sound as spilt over
to the vowel following k in this case.

> OK, I have to apologize for going a little out of my depth on
>this point. I have heard Swedish speakers pronounce this sound, and
>it actually sounded like an /f/ to me, but I couldn't believe that
>it was that sound, especially since my "Swedish for Tourists" book
>said the sound was the English sh-sound! Then I read somewhere
>about velarization of this sound in Swedish, so I acted
>presumptuously and made the statement that this sound is /xW/ or
>something like it. What actually is this sound? Is it a bilabial
>fricative? Is it formed by applying the upper teeth to the soft
>flesh below the lower lip? The times I have heard it, it has always
>been a mystery to me. And why did it become so labial, since to
>distinguish it from other palatals it could just as easily have
>become velar or alveolar?

It is a bit of a mystery. Try imagining blowing out a candle having a
big chew of bread on top of your tongue.

> In some generations it is probable that this peculiar sibilant will
> have developed into an /x/ accepted as the regular pronunciation.
> And that is your QED.
> I'm embarrassed to have to be asking, but what is the QED again?

A standard dictionary? I forget.

>

Quod erat demonstrandum: what you wanted to prove. The sound is going
backwards to a velar fricative. See further respondings I'm going to
do tonight. I'm a bit busy at the moment, unfortunately.

Lars