Re: Unilang: the Phonotactics

In a message dated 4/18/01 8:44:26 PM, fortytwo@GDN.NET writes:

<< Just thought of something, take the word "slow", the tongue's in the

same place for /s/ that it is for /t/, and [s] to [l] involves a similar

movement as [t] to [l]. >>

    Well, if you'll notice, trying to go from [t] to [l] involves placing
your tongue on the alveolar regions to stop the flow of air, releasing, but
not really, since you're immediately going back to that alveolar region to
stop the flow of air and let it out laterally.  With [s], you never block the
flow of air at all.  I don't think you can equate the two at all.  The issue
I'm having with [tl] is that you can't move from [t] to [l] because you're
already there.  You can move from [s] to [l], though, since your tongue isn't
touching the alveolar region, and the same goes for anything else (though
[wl] and [jl] might be a little tough, now that I think about it...)  But
anyway, I'm getting no support from anyone else, so I'll stop.

-David

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