Other Languages
In most languages of East and Southeast Asia with final stops, such as Chinese (Cantonese, Taiwanese, etc.), Korean, Malay, and Thai, the stops are not audibly released: mak . This is true even between vowels, and are thought to be due to an overlapping glottal stop, more precisely transcribed . Unreleased final stops lack aspiration, neutralising the aspiration distinction between stop pairs such as p/b, k/g, t/d etc. in languages such as Cantonese. Some languages, such as Vietnamese, which are reported to have unreleased final stops, turn out to have short voiceless nasal releases instead: that is, the excess pressure is released (voicelessly) through the nose, so that there is no audible release to the stop.
Read more about this topic: No Audible Release
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)
“People in places many of us never heard of, whose names we can’t pronounce or even spell, are speaking up for themselves. They speak in languages we once classified as “exotic” but whose mastery is now essential for our diplomats and businessmen. But what they say is very much the same the world over. They want a decent standard of living. They want human dignity and a voice in their own futures. They want their children to grow up strong and healthy and free.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)