Editing Guttural R (section)

===Akkadian===

The majority of Assyriologists deem an alveolar trill or flap the most likely pronunciation of Akkadian {{IPA|/r/}} in most dialects. However, there are several indications toward a velar or uvular fricative {{IPAblink|ɣ}}~{{IPAblink|ʁ}} particularly supported by [[John Huehnergard]].<ref>John Huehnergard and Christopher Woods (2004), Akkadian and Eblaite, in: Roger D. Woodard Roger (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World’s Ancient Languages, Cambridge, p.230-231.</ref> The main arguments constitute alternations with the voiceless uvular fricative {{IPA|/χ/}} (e.g. ''ruššû/ḫuššû'' "red"; ''barmātu'' "multicolored" (fem. pl.), the spelling ''ba-aḫ-ma-a-tù'' is attested).<ref>Wolfram von Soden (1995), Grundriß der akkadischen Grammatik (= Analecta Orientalia 33), Rom, p.44 (§ 35); see also Benno Landsberger (1964), Einige unerkannt gebliebene oder verkannte Nomina des Akkadischen, in: Die Welt des Orients 3/1, p.54.</ref> Besides {{IPA|/r/}} shows certain phonological parallelisms with {{IPA|/χ/}} and other gutturals (especially the glottal stop {{IPAblink|ʔ}}).<ref>John Huehnergard (2013), Akkadian e and Semitic Root Integrity, in: Babel und Bibel 7: Annual of Ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament and Semitic Studies (= Orientalia et Classica 47), p.457 (note 45); see also Edward L. Greenstein (1984), The Phonology of Akkadian Syllable Structure, in: Afroasiatic Linguistics 9/1, p.30.</ref>