Articles on Sorbian Phonetics and Phonology. Part 2 – On the Sound-system of Lower Sorbian: The Secondary Affricative <tš> ← *tr

Abstract

Articles on Sorbian Phonetics and Phonology. Part 2 – On the Sound-system of Lower Sorbian: The Secondary Affricative <tš> ← *tr

This essay deals with the pronunciation and the phonological status of <tš> ← *tr (as in tšach ʻfearʼ) compared with some historically and phonetically related sound structures in Lower Sorbian. It demonstrates acoustically and phonetically that this structure ex­hibits significantly complex characteristics of the type affricative + fricative and plosive + fricative, as well as its pronunciation as a simple affricative. As a result, <tš> ← *tr is interpeted biphonematically as /t-ʂ/. In conclusion, we formulate some appropriate ortho­epic suggestions.