When first we start learnÂing a new forÂeign lanÂguage, any numÂber of its eleÂments rise up to frusÂtrate us, even to disÂsuade us from going any furÂther: the mounÂtain of vocabÂuÂlary to be acquired, the gramÂmar in which to oriÂent ourÂselves, the details of proÂnunÂciÂaÂtion to get our mouths around. In these and all othÂer respects, some lanÂguages seem easy, some hard, and othÂers seemÂingÂly imposÂsiÂble — those last outÂer reachÂes being a speÂcialÂty of YoutuÂber Joshua RudÂder, creÂator of the chanÂnel NativLang. In the video above, he not only presents us with a few of the rarest sounds — or phonemes, to use the linÂguisÂtic term — in any lanÂguage, he also shows us how to make them ourÂselves.
SevÂerÂal African lanÂguages use the phoneme gb, as seen twice in the name of the IvoÂrian dance GbĂ©gÂbĂ©. “You might be temptÂed to go all French on it,” RudÂder says, but in fact, you should “bring your tongue up to the soft palate” to make the g sound, and at the same time “close and release your lips” to add the b sound.
EviÂdentÂly, RudÂder pulls it off: “Haven’t heard a forÂeignÂer say the gb sound right!” says a preÂsumÂably African comÂmenter below. From there, the phoneÂmic world tour conÂtinÂues to the bilÂabiÂal trilled africate and phaÂrynÂgeals used by the PirahĂŁ peoÂple of the AmaÂzon and the whisÂtles used on one parÂticÂuÂlar Canary Island — someÂthing like the whisÂtled lanÂguage of OaxÂaÂca, MexÂiÂco preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture.
RudÂder also includes OaxÂaÂca in his surÂvey, but he finds an entireÂly difÂferÂent set of rare sounds used in a rivÂer town whose resÂiÂdents speak the MazaÂtec lanÂguage. “For every one norÂmal vowÂel you give ’em,” he explains, “they have three for you”: one “modal” variÂety, one “breathy,” and one “creaky.” He ends the video where he began, in Africa, albeit in a difÂferÂent region of Africa, where he finds some of the rarest phonemes, albeit ones we also might have expectÂed: bilÂabiÂal clicks, whose speakÂers “close their tongue against the back of their mouth and also close both lips, but don’t purse them.” Then, “using the tongue, they suck a pockÂet of air into that enclosed area. FinalÂly, they let go of the lips and out pops a” — well, betÂter to hear RudÂder proÂnounce it. If you can do the same, conÂsidÂer yourÂself one step closÂer to readiÂness for a Khoekhoe immerÂsion course.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
SpeakÂing in WhisÂtles: The WhisÂtled LanÂguage of OaxÂaÂca, MexÂiÂco
What EngÂlish Would Sound Like If It Was ProÂnounced PhoÂnetÂiÂcalÂly
Why Do PeoÂple Talk FunÂny in Old Movies?, or The OriÂgin of the Mid-Atlantic Accent
Was There a First Human LanÂguage?: TheÂoÂries from the EnlightÂenÂment Through Noam ChomÂsky
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
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