Re: USAGE: English eth

En réponse à laokou <laokou@...>:

> so, do these really count as minimal pairs, then? It feels to me akin to
> the
> difference between (perhaps I'm more a K-baum than SAMPA guy? so)
>
> peu /pY/ vs. peur /pY:R/
> eux /Y/ vs. heure /Y:R/
> jeu /ZY/ vs. jeune /ZY:n/
> etc.
> (Christophe used /2/ and /9/ respectively)
>
But it's not a difference of length! (French doesn't have phonemic length, and
in this case, if there is an impression of lengthening of the vowel, it's only
because of the presence of a voiced continuant) It's a difference of quality
(the vowel in the right part of the pairs is lower (more open) than the one of
the left part.

> Perhaps Christophe has a point. Natives perceive the difference even
> if
> there aren't minimal pair contrasts (and this ain't the "heng" thang,
> is
> it?).
>
Indeed. AFAIK I always perceived the difference, even when I didn't know
anything about linguistics and even before I began to learn another language.

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

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