Re: a small phonological question about the French 'r'.

Christophe Grandsire wrote:
>
> For those one the list who are very good at phonology, I have a small
> question. What is the phonological status of the French 'r'? Can it be
> better described as an uvular fricative or an uvular trill? Because at
> this PoA I have difficulties to know what I'm really doing when I
> pronounce this sound.

A uvular trill, to my mind, would be what some German speakers do with
initial r.  Hard for me to produce without a lot of saliva back there!
Rath, richtig, roth, etc.  The uvula actually vibrates, like a little
leaf in the wind.

I have always called what the French do (much easier for me to
reproduce)
a "uvular scrape" <G> !


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