Sound change in the Khoisan languages: new data on click loss and click replacement

Abstract

Sound change involving the click consonants of Khoisan languages has implications both for the adequate phonetic description of clicks and the comparative study of these languages. This paper surveys the literature on the topic and adds new data which elucidate the processes of click replacement (one click for another click) and click loss (a non-click for a click). The acoustic and articulatory factors underlying these processes are analyzed, leading to the identification of a quantifiable stage of click weakening which results from articulatory undershoot. The sociolinguistic context of these phenomena is also discussed