Glottalized resonants: m’, n’, l’, y’, w’
Besides the glottalized consonants mentioned in the previous unit, Hul’q’umi’num’ has m’, n’, l’, y’, w’ and. The glottalization is a little different in these sounds. The glottal and the consonant do not really sound like they are made at the same time. Instead they sound like they are in a sequence.
If the glottalized sound appears at the end of the word, you will hear it as a sequence of consonant + glottal stop.
end of the word
lelum’ “house”
meen’ “weak”
spaal’ “raven”
The sound is abruptly cut short by the glottal stop. Sometimes you will hear a little puff of air that sounds like a sigh when the glottal stop is released.
In contrast, if the word ends in a plain consonant, you will not hear the abrupt ending or the glottal release.
ESSA: this needs to go in a four column table
plain glottalized
sqwal “speech” spaal’ “raven”
sq’ewum “knee” qulum’ “eye”
men “father” meen’ “weak”
teem “to call out” t’ut’um’ “winter wren”
If the glottalized sound is in the middle of the word, you will hear a sequence of consonants. Glottalized sounds in the middle of the word are different depending on the vowel that comes before. If the vowel is u you will hear it as a sequence of consonant + glottal stop.
middle of the word: after /u/ (schwa)
mun’u “child”
xul’um “to write”
sxun’u “leg, foot”
On the other hand, if some other vowel (a, i, e, ou) comes before the glottalized sound, you will hear it as glottal stop + consonant.
middle of the word: after a vowel other than /u/ (schwa)
sta’lus “spouse”
xwi’lum’ “rope, thread”
q’i’wut “to hang clothes”
A plain consonant in the middle of the word sounds different from a glottalized one because you will hear no interruption.
ESSA: this needs to go in a four column table
plain glottalized
telu “money” sta’lus “spouse”
’imush “walk” ’i’mush “walking”
sq’ewum “knee” q’i’wut “to hang clothes”
’uwu “no, not” heew’u “to go on a trip”
xulum “limpet, China hat” xul’um “to write”
Glottalized resonants m’, n’, l’, y’, w’ do not usually appear at the beginning of the word. One example is m’i “come” which is actually a short form of ’um’i “come”.
m’i “come”