Ballistic syllables are a phonemic distinction in
Otomanguean languages:
Chinantec
The Chinantec or Chinantecan languages constitute a branch of the Oto-Manguean family. Though traditionally considered a single language, '' Ethnologue'' lists 14 partially mutually unintelligible varieties of Chinantec.Palancar, Enrique L. (201 ...
and
Amuzgo
The Amuzgos are an indigenous people of Mexico. They primarily live in a region along the Guerrero/ Oaxaca border, chiefly in and around four municipalities: Xochistlahuaca, Tlacoachistlahuaca and Ometepec in Guerrero, and San Pedro Amuzgos ...
. They have been described as characterized with increased sub-
glottal pressure (Mugele 1982) or
laryngeal abduction (Silverman 1994). The acoustic effect is a
fortis release of the consonant, a gradual surge in the intensity of the vowel, followed by a rapid decay in intensity into post-vocalic
aspiration. They may thus be a form of
phonation.
Non-ballistic syllables are, by contrast, called "controlled."
See
Chinantec of Ozumacín for examples.
References
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Phonation
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