Towards a typology of velar processes
Abstract
This paper sets up a typology of velar phenomena. Velars show effects of palatalization by an adjacent segment. Processes where velars show effects of pure vocalization are also attested. A third group of phenomena are reductions to velars. Moreover, there is important communication between velars and labials where labio-velars turn into plain labials or the other way round. Finally, less typical are velar and palatal interactions where a palatal glide /j/ comes to alternate with or turn into a velar stop. These phenomena can be nicely accommodated in a VC framework, which provides a typology of, types of velar processes.