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In Semitic studies, they are commonly transcribed using the convention of placing a dot under the closest plain obstruent consonant in the Latin alphabet. With respect to particular Semitic and Afro-Asiatic languages, this term describes the particular phonetic feature which distinguishes these consonants from other consonants. Thus, in Arabic emphasis is synonymous with a secondary articulation involving retraction of the dorsum or root of the tongue, which has variously been described as velarization or pharyngealization depending on where the locus of the retraction is assumed to be. Original emphatic k developed into [q] in most Semitic languages; strictly speaking, it has thus ceased to be an emphatic version of k and has become a completely different consonant. (Accordingly, another common transcription in Semitic languages is q).
Within Arabic, the emphatic consonants vary in phonetic realization from dialect to dialect, but are typically realized as pharyngealized consonants. In Ethiopian Semitic and Modern South Arabian languages, they are realized as ejective consonants. While these sounds do not necessarily share any particular phonetic properties in common, most historically derive from a common source.
General Israeli Modern Hebrew and Maltese are notable exceptions among Semitic languages to the presence of emphatic consonants. In both languages, they have been lost under the influence of Indo-European languages (particularly Yiddish in the case of Hebrew and Sicilian in the case of Maltese, though other languages may also have had an influence).
In Hebrew, the letter tsadi (from Proto-Semitic ṱ, ṣ, ṣ́) remains distinct as an affricate/ts/, but without pharyngealization. Emphatic ḳ has been merged with plain k in some positions, but remains distinct post-vocally, where the plain consonant becomes /x/, while the original emphatic does not. Semitic ṭ has been fully merged with plain t.
In Maltese, only emphatic ḳ (= q) remains distinct. It is still realised as a uvular stop [q] in a few villages but has otherwise developed into a glottal stop. All other emphatics have been merged into plain consonants. However, they are sometimes still recognizable from special vocalic developments that they triggered before the mergers. Compare sejf ("sword") with sajf ("summer"), in which the latter originally had an emphatic ṣ that prevented the a from becoming e (as it did in the former word with a plain s).
Notes
^Historically, the emphatic consonant /dˤ/ was pronounced [ɮˤ], or possibly [d͡ɮˤ][1]—either way, a highly unusual sound. The medieval Arabs even termed their language لغة الضاد lughat al-ḍād 'the language of the Ḍād' (the name of the letter used for this sound), believing the sound unique to their language, though it also occurs in Mehri. It is preserved among older speakers in a few isolated dialects.[2]
^In the Arabic dialects of Hejaz and Najd the emphatic [kʼ] developed to a plain [ɡ] instead of the common [q] through a chain shift/kʼ/ → /ɡ/ → /d͡ʒ/ which correlates with the original gimel being pronounced as an affricate /d͡ʒ/jīm ج.
References
^Ferguson, Charles (1959), "The Arabic Koine", Language, 35 (4): 630, doi:10.2307/410601, JSTOR 410601
^ Al-Azraqi. (2019). Delateralisation in Arabic and Mehri. Dialectologia, 23: 1–23.
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This article relies largely or entirely on a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources Find sources Emphatic consonant news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2020 This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet IPA For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA For the distinction between and see IPA Brackets and transcription delimiters In Semitic linguistics an emphatic consonant is an obstruent consonant which originally contrasted with series of both voiced and voiceless obstruents In specific Semitic languages the members of this series may be realized as uvularized or pharyngealized velarized ejective or plain voiced or voiceless consonants It is also used to a lesser extent to describe cognate series in other Afro Asiatic languages where they are typically realized as ejective implosive or pharyngealized consonants In Semitic studies they are commonly transcribed using the convention of placing a dot under the closest plain obstruent consonant in the Latin alphabet With respect to particular Semitic and Afro Asiatic languages this term describes the particular phonetic feature which distinguishes these consonants from other consonants Thus in Arabic emphasis is synonymous with a secondary articulation involving retraction of the dorsum or root of the tongue which has variously been described as velarization or pharyngealization depending on where the locus of the retraction is assumed to be Original emphatic k developed into q in most Semitic languages strictly speaking it has thus ceased to be an emphatic version of k and has become a completely different consonant Accordingly another common transcription in Semitic languages is q Within Arabic the emphatic consonants vary in phonetic realization from dialect to dialect but are typically realized as pharyngealized consonants In Ethiopian Semitic and Modern South Arabian languages they are realized as ejective consonants While these sounds do not necessarily share any particular phonetic properties in common most historically derive from a common source Five such emphatic phonemes are reconstructed for Proto Semitic Proto Semitic Phoneme Description IPA Trans Hebrew Aramaic Arabic IPA Trans Alveolar ejective tʼ ṭ Tet ט Teth Ṭaʼ ط tˤ ṭDental ejective fricative 8ʼ ṱ Tsadi צ Teth Ẓaʾ ظ dˤ ẓAlveolar ejective fricative or affricate t sʼ ṣ Tsadi צ Ṣade Ṣad ص sˤ ṣAlveolar lateral ejective fricative or affricate t ɬʼ ṣ Tsadi צ Ayin Ḍad ض dˤ lt ɮˤ note 1 ḍVelar ejective kʼ ḳ Qoph ק Qoph Qaf ق q note 2 qGeneral Israeli Modern Hebrew and Maltese are notable exceptions among Semitic languages to the presence of emphatic consonants In both languages they have been lost under the influence of Indo European languages particularly Yiddish in the case of Hebrew and Sicilian in the case of Maltese though other languages may also have had an influence In Hebrew the letter tsadi from Proto Semitic ṱ ṣ ṣ remains distinct as an affricate ts but without pharyngealization Emphatic ḳ has been merged with plain k in some positions but remains distinct post vocally where the plain consonant becomes x while the original emphatic does not Semitic ṭ has been fully merged with plain t In Maltese only emphatic ḳ q remains distinct It is still realised as a uvular stop q in a few villages but has otherwise developed into a glottal stop All other emphatics have been merged into plain consonants However they are sometimes still recognizable from special vocalic developments that they triggered before the mergers Compare sejf sword with sajf summer in which the latter originally had an emphatic ṣ that prevented the a from becoming e as it did in the former word with a plain s Notes Edit Historically the emphatic consonant dˤ was pronounced ɮˤ or possibly d ɮˤ 1 either way a highly unusual sound The medieval Arabs even termed their language لغة الضاد lughat al ḍad the language of the Ḍad the name of the letter used for this sound believing the sound unique to their language though it also occurs in Mehri It is preserved among older speakers in a few isolated dialects 2 In the Arabic dialects of Hejaz and Najd the emphatic kʼ developed to a plain ɡ instead of the common q through a chain shift kʼ ɡ d ʒ which correlates with the original gimel being pronounced as an affricate d ʒ jim ج References Edit Ferguson Charles 1959 The Arabic Koine Language 35 4 630 doi 10 2307 410601 JSTOR 410601 Al Azraqi 2019 Delateralisation in Arabic and Mehri Dialectologia 23 1 23 This phonology article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte This Semitic languages related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Emphatic consonant amp oldid 1070762765, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
