Realization of word-initial prestopped nasal phonemes

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cromulant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2012 00:04

Realization of word-initial prestopped nasal phonemes

Post by cromulant »

(cross-posted from ZBB)

Phonemic prestopped nasals are fantastically rare. I gave them to a conlang and I'm stumped as to how they'd be realized word-initially - or how any real language that has them, and has them word-initially, realizes them.

Arrernte and some close relatives have phonemic prestopped nasals, and apparently, has phonetic word-initial prestopped nasals as well, exhibited in words such as [ᵖmʷaɻə] (coolamon). Arrernte is said by some to have VC(C) structure, but word-initial shwa is dropped, making [ᵖmʷaɻə] possible. Phonetically, word-initial prestopped nasals do occur in Arrernte.

To me, word-medial and word-final prestopped nasals sound quite distinct from plain nasals, and I think if I were learning Arrernte, I wouldn't have a problem telling them apart. But word-initial prestopped nasals? I can articulate them, but they seem to sound exactly like plain nasals. It seems to me that a preceding vowel is essential to make the prestopping audible. Yet clearly it isn't, because Arrente speakers evidentally hear a difference between [ᵖmʷaɻə] and [mʷaɻə]. What does that tiny little [ᵖ] sound like, exactly?

(Diachronically, prestopped nasals in Arrernte's close relative Olgolo developed IIRC from allophonic prestooping of nasals after /w/ or plosives, followed by widespread loss of initial syllables).

And a related question: what would the basis for considering [ᵖm] a prestopped nasal, as opposed to a nasal-release plosive?
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