Preaspiration

The Präaspiration is in phonetics aspiration before the closure of a voiceless obstruent. In other words, when an obstruent is präaspiriert, the glottis is opened a short time before closure. To transcribe Präaspiration with the IPA, usually the sign of aspiration before präaspirierten consonants is provided.

Präaspiration is relatively rare in the languages ​​of the world and some claim that there is no language in which it is meaningful supporting. A distinction that is often made is that between " normative " and "non - normative " Präaspiration. In a language with normative Präaspiration the Präaspiration is mandatory before a voiceless obstruent, even if it is not a distinctive feature. While not mandatory in a language with non- normative Präaspiration. Präaspirierte consonants are usually allophonic variants of a Fortis if any, usually stressed vowel follows.

Präaspiration can be realized in different ways. The häufigstste form is a glottal friction, similar to a [h ]. The friction can undergo assimilation to the articulation of obstruents or of the preceding vowel, as [ ç ] after a closed vowel. Other possible realizations are [ x] and [f ].

Best known is the Präaspiration in the Scandinavian languages ​​, above all the Icelandic and Faroese the, but also in some dialects of Norwegian and the Swedish. However, in other languages ​​comes before the Präaspiration. It is found in Scottish Gaelic, in Mongolian, in all Sami languages ​​(except in Inari Saami ) and in several Indian languages, including dialects of Cree, Ojibwe of, the Fox and the Hopi.