Voiceless epiglottal affricate

A voiceless epiglottal affricate ([ʡ͡ʜ] in IPA) is a rare affricate consonant that is initiated as an epiglottal stop [ʡ] (specifically, a voiceless epiglottal stop [ʡ̥]) and released as a voiceless epiglottal fricative [ʜ]. It has not been reported to occur phonemically in any language except in the Hydaburg dialect of the Haida language.

Voiceless epiglottal affricate
ʡʜ
ʡ̥ʜ
IPA number	173 172
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Features

Features of a voiceless epiglottal affricate:

• Its manner of articulation is affricate, which means it is produced by first stopping the airflow entirely, then allowing air flow through a constricted channel at the place of articulation, causing turbulence.
• Its place of articulation is epiglottal, which means it is articulated with the aryepiglottic folds against the epiglottis.
• Its phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords. In some languages the vocal cords are actively separated, so it is always voiceless; in others the cords are lax, so that it may take on the voicing of adjacent sounds.
• It is an oral consonant, which means that air is not allowed to escape through the nose.
• It is a median consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream down the midline of the tongue, rather than to the sides.
• Its airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air only with the intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles, as in most sounds.

Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Haida	Hydaburg dialect				May be a stop [ʡ] or voiced [ʡ͜ʢ] instead.

References

• Mithun, Marianne (2001). The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 052129875X.