Tibetan <ḥ-> as a plain initial and its place in Old Tibetan Phonology

Main author: Hill, Nathan W.
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-7625
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Beginning with de Kőrös (1834) many researchers have held that the Tibetan letter འ <ḥ> as a simple initial represents a voiced fricative. In 1881 Jäschke initiated an alternative view, which holds that this letter has no phonetic value, instead representing vocalic onset. An examination of the reflexes of relevant Old Tibetan words in the modern Tibetan languages, the order of the Tibetan alphabet, and Old Tibetan phonotactics confirms the earlier tradition of scholarship. It is concluded in addition that in Old Tibetan <ḥ> represented a voiced velar fricative in all syllable positions and that the Common Tibetan values of prenasalization before consonants and vowel lengthening as a final are due to sound change from Old Tibetan to Common Tibetan.
format Journal Article
author Hill, Nathan W.
author_facet Hill, Nathan W.
authorStr Hill, Nathan W.
author_letter Hill, Nathan W.
title Tibetan <ḥ-> as a plain initial and its place in Old Tibetan Phonology
publisher University of California, Berkeley
publishDate 2009
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/7625/