Yi (Nosu)

The “tense” register of Tibeto-Burman languages such as Yi (Nosu), often called “laryngealized,” can be interpreted as larynx raising in conjunction with the engagement of the aryepiglottic sphincter.  This could be regarded as an example of exploiting the larynx-raising and laryngeal sphinctering components that usually accompany pharyngealization, in a context that is not otherwise characterized by a particular manner of pharyngeal articulation.  This effect applies to five pairs of vowels, some of which reduce to consonantal sonorant quality, for example, "lax" [i] contrasts with "tense" [] and "lax" [] contrasts with "tense" [].

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