Pharyngeal Approximant <h>
It is pretty much accepted that in English /h/ is a glottal fricative, and that pharynx does not play a part in English sounds. I am referring to Lesley Jeffries, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p13 and p24. However, the pharynx is supposed to take part in Arabic. My question is: Is it possible to have <h> as a pharyngeal approximant?
Modern Burmese allows only four consonants to take part in modifying other consonants to form "medials". They are /j/ (English <y>), /r/ (English <r>), /w/ (English <w>), and /h/. The palatal approximant /j/ (English <y>) modifies /m/ in the onset-cluster <my> (as in the word 'Myanmar'), /k/ in <ky> (as in the word 'kyat' the monetary unit, and in my Myanmar name 'Kyaw'). Though this medial seems to be very difficult for non-Burmese to articulate, it is quite common in Myanmar. The other two medial-formers, /r/ and /w/ are also approximants. If 3 out of 4, /y/, /r/, and /w/, are approximants, then would it be logical to conclude that /h/ is also an approximant. In that case, /h/ would be a pharyngeal approximant.
It is pretty much accepted that in English /h/ is a glottal fricative, and that pharynx does not play a part in English sounds. I am referring to Lesley Jeffries, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p13 and p24. However, the pharynx is supposed to take part in Arabic. My question is: Is it possible to have <h> as a pharyngeal approximant?
Modern Burmese allows only four consonants to take part in modifying other consonants to form "medials". They are /j/ (English <y>), /r/ (English <r>), /w/ (English <w>), and /h/. The palatal approximant /j/ (English <y>) modifies /m/ in the onset-cluster <my> (as in the word 'Myanmar'), /k/ in <ky> (as in the word 'kyat' the monetary unit, and in my Myanmar name 'Kyaw'). Though this medial seems to be very difficult for non-Burmese to articulate, it is quite common in Myanmar. The other two medial-formers, /r/ and /w/ are also approximants. If 3 out of 4, /y/, /r/, and /w/, are approximants, then would it be logical to conclude that /h/ is also an approximant. In that case, /h/ would be a pharyngeal approximant.