On the possible origin of voiceless implosives: Hints from Ese’eja (Takanan)

Abstract

Voiceless implosives are reported in a few languages of Africa, Mesoamerica, and Amazonia. Ese’eja (Takanan) has bilabial [ɓ] and [ɗ] alveolar voiceless implosives in its phonemic inventory (Vuillermet 2006). These sounds are realized with a complete closure of the vocal folds, a lowering of the larynx during the glottal closure associated with a lowering of the pressure (Po) inside the vocal tract behind the labial or alveolar closures. This is followed by a rapid larynx rising. The acoustic characteristics are: a period of silence and a short prevoicing preceding a strong final burst. There are two possibilities to explain the origin of voiceless implosives in Ese’eja. The first is that they are the consequence of the devoicing of a voiced implosive. The second is that they are due to the combination of a glottal closure and a voiced stop. The lowering of the glottis and Po is anticipating the articulation of a following low or back vowel during the glottal closure. Voiceless implosives have been desc...