Ejective/Inventories

Main table

Four particular inventories appear to be particularly common, each of them found in more than five languages from more than three separate families; these are also given in bold in the table below.

1. /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ/
2. /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/
3. /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ/
4. /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/

We see already from this that ejectives are especially likely to occur in languages that have either a uvular series of consonants, or two or more series of affricate consonants.

coronals		1 dorsal	2 dorsals	3 dorsals	4 dorsals	∑
0		/qʼ/ (Hamer)				1
1	no /pʼ/	(/tʼ kʼ/?) /tsʼ tʃʼ/ (Aari)	/tʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (proposed for glottalic PIE) /tʼ kʼ qʼ/ (examples?) /tsʼ kxʼ qχʼ/ (Nǁng, sans clicks)			2
	/pʼ/	/pʼ tʼ kʼ/ (Nisenan, Waimoa)	/pʼ tʼ kʼ qʼ/ (examples?)			2
2	no /pʼ/	/tʼ tsʼ kʼ/ (reconstructed Akkadian) /tʼ tsʼ~tʃʼ kʼ/ (Itonama) /tʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Selti) /tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Tz'utujil) /tsʼ tɬʼ kʼ/ (Sandawe)	/tʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Blin) /tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Mpade, Zuni)	/tʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʲʼ kʷʼ/ (Chaha, Inor) /tsʼ tʃʼ cʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Hausa)		11
	/pʼ/	/pʼ pʷʼ t̪ʼ tʼ kʼ/ (Venda) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ/ (examples?) /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Kawésqar, Kiowa, Maidu, Oromo, Vilela, Wolaytta)	/pʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (examples?) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Maka) /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Taos, Yurok) /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ kxʼ/ (Zulu) /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Atsugewi, Aymara, Itelmen, Klamath, Quechua, Tehuelche)	/pʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ/ (Coast Salish)	/pʼ tsʼ tɬʼ kʼ kʷʼ qχʼ qχʷʼ/ (Lillooet) /pʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Shuswap)	20
3	no /pʼ/	/t̪ʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ/ (Trumai) /t̪ʼ sʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Tigre) /tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Caddo, Otomi)	/tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Haida, Koyukon) /tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/ (K'iche') /tʼ sʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Xamtanga) /tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Kw'adza)			9
	/pʼ/	/pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Amharic, Shasta, Takelma, Tzeltal (+etc. Mayan)) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ ʈʼ kʼ/ (Valley Yokuts) /pʼ tʼ sʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Dime, Shabo) /pʼ tʼ sʼ tɕʼ kʼ/ (Chara)	/pʼ t̪ʼ sʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Tigrinya) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Ossetian) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Chechen, Georgian, Puelche, Kubachi, Ventureño) /pʼ tʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ qχʼ/ (Wintu) /pʼ tsʼ tʃʼ cʎ̝̥ʼ kxʼ kxʷʼ/ (Hadza)	/pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ cʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Chipaya) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ ʡʼ/ (Dargwa)	/pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Nez Perce, Nuxálk)	21
4	no /pʼ/	/tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Navajo + other South Athabaskan) /tʼ (t)θʼ (t)sʼ (t)ɬʼ kʼ/ (reconstructed Proto-Semitic)	/tʼ tsʼ sʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Mazahua) /tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Sekani) /tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Dena'ina, Eyak) /tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ kʼ kʲʼ/ (Mam) /tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Akatek)	/tθʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ/ (Tahltan)	/tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Tillamook) (Tlingit, see below)	9
	/pʼ/	/pʼ t̪ʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Southern Pomo, Wappo) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Sesotho) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ kʼ/ (Bench)	/pʼ t̪ʼ sʼ tʃʼ ʃʼ kʼ χʼ/ (Lakota) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Hanis, Hunzib, Tsez) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʲʼ tʃʼ kʼ kxʼ/ (Xhosa) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʃːʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Udi) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʃʷʼ kʼ qʼ/ (Tabasaran)	/pʼ tθʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Halkomelem) /pʼ tʼ tːʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ qːʼ/ (Bats) /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Chemakum, Klallam)	/pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Quileute, Umatilla)	17
5	no /pʼ/	/tθʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ/ (Slavey) [θʼ tʼ sʼ ɬʼ ʃʼ kʼ] (Mehri; allophonic)	/tθʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Chipewyan)		/t̪ʼ ts̪ʼ ts̱ˤʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Chilcotin)	4
	/pʼ/		/pʼ t̪ʼ tʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ cʎ̝̥ʼ kʼ kʷʼ/ (Dahalo)	/pʼ tθʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Saanich) (Lezgian, see below)		2
6	no /pʼ/	/tθʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ tʼ kʼ/ (Gwich'in) /tθʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ kʼ/ (Hän)				2
∑		37	43	12	8

Systems with stop/fric contrasts

Chiwere

plosive	pʼ	tʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ
fricative		θʼ	sʼ	xʼ

Barbareño

plosive	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	qʼ
fricative			sʼ	ʃʼ	xʼ

(3 coronal + 2 dorsal POAs)

Tlingit

plosive	tʼ	tsʼ	tɬʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	kʷʼ	qʼ	qʷʼ
fricative		sʼ	ɬʼ		xʼ	xʷʼ	χʼ	χʷʼ

(4 coronal + 4 dorsal POAs)

North Caucasian 2ndary articulation batfuckery

Lak

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	qʼ
labzd				tʃʷʼ	kʷʼ	qʷʼ

Lezgian

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	qʼ
labzd		tʷʼ	tsʷʼ		kʷʼ	qʷʼ

• /pʼ fʼ tʼ tsʼ ɬʼ ɕʼ kʼ kʲʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/ (Kabardian)

Axvax

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tɬʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	qχʼ
tense			tsːʼ	tɬːʼ	tʃːʼ	kːʼ	qχːʼ

Archi

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	kʟ̝̊ʼ	qʼ	qˤʼ
labzd			tsʷʼ	tʃʷʼ	kʷʼ	kʟ̝̊ʷʼ	qʷʼ	qˤʷʼ
tense			tsːʼ	tʃːʼ			qːʼ	qːˤʼ

Xwarshi

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tɬʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	qʼ
labzd		tʷʼ	tsʷʼ	tɬʷʼ	tʃʷʼ	kʷʼ	qʷʼ
pharzd	pˤʼ					kˤʼ	qˤʼ
labpharzd						qʷˤʼ

Tsaxur

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tʃʼ	kʼ	qʼ
palzd		tʲʼ	tsʲʼ		kʲʼ
labzd		tʷʼ	tsʷʼ	tʃʷʼ	kʷʼ	qʷʼ
pharzd						qˤʼ

Abxaz

plain	pʼ	tʼ	tsʼ	tʃʼ	tʂʼ	kʼ	qʼ
palzd				tɕʼ		kʲʼ	qʲʼ
lab(pal)zd		tʷʼ		tɕʷʼ		kʷʼ	qʷʼ

For Ubyx, add to this a lateral /ɬʼ/ and three pharyngealized consonants /pˤʼ qˤʼ qˤʷʼ/.

Frequency tally

	'Common'					'Occasional'				'Infrequent'
Sound	/kʼ/	/tʼ/	/tʃʼ/	/tsʼ/	/pʼ/	/qʼ/	/kʷʼ/	/tɬʼ/	/qʷʼ/	/sʼ/	/t̪ʼ/	/t̪θʼ/	/tʲʼ ~ cʼ ~ kʲʼ/	/tʃʷʼ/	/tʂʼ/	/tsʷʼ/
This survey	101	93	89.5	73.5	70	45	34	34	15 *	11 †	9	7	6	5 ‡	5	3
UPSID data	63	48	44	43	44	26	23	20	11	7	16 **	8	12	3	3	3

• * Out of 19 languages to have both /qʼ/ and /kʷʼ/.
• † Contrasts with /tsʼ/ in only 3 cases.
• ‡ In only 1 case without also both of /kʷʼ qʷʼ/.
• ** Contains a number of languages counted here as having /tʼ/.

Conlang survey

Conlangs appear rather less disposed towards containing ejective affricates, while /cʼ/ appears to be much more frequent. Attested natlang systems mark'd with "√".

• Without affricates
  • 1 P’
    • Uranian [Wikia]: /pʼ/
    • Adpihi: /kʼ/
  • 2 Pʼ
    • Yuvlaish [Wikia]: /pʼ kʼ/
    • Kereb "v1" [KQ], Mohaisian [KQ]: /tʼ kʼ/
    • Middle Nyángar: /tʼ qʼ/
  • 3 Pʼ
    • √ Brownie, Gyatalin, Khattish [Linguifex], Na'vi, P'ar [Wikia], Proto-Coast [KQ], Proto-Danubian, Ris [Linguifex], Tsan [Linguifex], Trentish: /pʼ tʼ kʼ/
    • Draga: /pʼ tʼ cʼ/
    • B'la'ajà [Wikia]: /tʼ sʼ kʼ/
  • 4 Pʼ
    • Yven [KQ]: /pʼ t̪ʼ tʼ kʼ/
    • Jamastulu: /pʼ tʼ cʼ kʼ/
    • "Pocketful's speedlang" [KQ]: [pʼ tʼ kʼ qʼ] (allophonic)
    • Ahtialan [Wikia]: /pʼ ʈʼ cʼ qʼ/
    • Adzamasi [Linguifex]: /tʼ cʼ kʼ qʼ/
  • 5 Pʼ
    • Nipmel [Wikia]: /pʼ tʼ ʈʼ kʼ qʼ/
    • Thalassan: /pʼ tʼ cʼ kʼ qʼ/
    • Tlaliolz [Akana]: /tʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/
  • 6+ Pʼ
    • "Lethe's Conlang" [KQ]: /pʼ tʼ sʼ cʼ kʼ xʼ/
    • Raxúl: /pʼ ɸʼ tʼ sʼ ɕʼ kʼ xʼ/
    • Xylphica [Wikkii]: /pʼ ɸʼ fʼ θʼ tʼ sʼ ʈʼ ʂʼ cʼ çʼ kʼ xʼ qʼ χʼ/
• With affricates
  • 3 Pʼ
    • √ Terpish [KQ]: /tʼ tsʼ kʼ/
    • Lengryis [Wikia]: /tʼ tsʼ qʼ/
    • √ Battlax#Branch 3: /tʼ tʃʼ kʼ/
    • Round Robin Conlang: /tsʼ kʼ qʼ/
  • 4 Pʼ
    • Ritsushiku [Wikia]: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ/
    • Antarctican [Wikia]: [pʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ] (allophonic)
    • √ Eomuji [Linguifex]: /pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ/
    • √ Ezosha [Wikia]: /tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ/
  • 5 Pʼ
    • ~√ Satnímʔa [Akana], Vardeu [KQ]: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɕʼ kʼ/ (allophonic in the former)
    • √ Naquian [Linguifex]: /tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ/
    • ~√ Ktacwa [Akana]: /t’ ts’ tɕ’ k’ q’/
    • Êanglluk: [Wikia]: /tʼ tsʼ kʼ kxʼ qʼ/
  • 6 Pʼ
    • Ròmnica [Linguifex]: /pʼ pfʼ tʼ tθʼ tsʼ tʃʼ/
    • Antarctican [Linguifex]: /pʼ pʲʼ tʼ tɬʼ tɕʼ~cʼ kʼ/
    • ~√ Boot Polish [Linguifex]: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʂʼ tɕʼ kʼ/
    • √ Ishtol [KQ]: [pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ kʼ kʷʼ] (allophonic)
    • Ǩüttǩarrą Roś [Wikia]: /tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ cʼ kʼ qʼ/
    • ~√ Proto-Imperial: /tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tɕʼ kʼ qʼ/
  • 7+ Pʼ
    • √ East Persian': /(pʼ) tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ kʼ qʼ/
    • Kashoebian [Linguifex]: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ tɕʼ kʼ/
    • √ Proto-Gamedan [Linguifex], Adetsib [Linguifex]: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/
    • Tech: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ ʈʼ kʼ qʼ/
    • Tsa'in: /pʼ tʼ tsʼ sʼ tɬʼ ɬʼ tʃʼ ʃʼ kʼ/
    • √ Hkətl’ohnim [Akana]: /p’ t’ ts’ tɬ’ tʃ’ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/
    • Simptliki: /pʼ fʼ tʼ tsʼ sʼ tɬʼ (?) ʃʼ kʼ kʟʼ (?)/
    • Dolostone [KQ]: /pʼ fʼ tʼ θʼ tsʼ sʼ tʃʼ ʃʼ kʼ xʼ hʼ/
    • Ithkuil: /pʼ t̪ʼ tsʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ cʼ cçʼ cʎ̥˔ʼ kʼ kxʼ qʼ qχʼ/
    • Qətlanttaq [KQ]: /p’ t’ tʲ’ tʷ’ ts’ tɬ’ tʃʲ’ tʃʷ’ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/
    • Kannow [KQ]: /pʼ tʼ tʷʼ tsʼ tsʷʼ tɬʼ tʂʼ cʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ/
    • "UnnamedLang" [Wikia]: /pʼ pfʼ fʼ tʼ tsʼ sʼ tɬʼ ɬʼ cʼ kʼ kxʼ xʼ qʼ/