Re: Optimum number of symbols

Thomas R. Wier scripsit:

> (A) alternating root-final plosive:
>     [kanat]    'wing'      [kanadM]  'wing-ACC'
>     [kanatlar] 'wing-PL'   [kanadMm] 'wing-1Sg'
> (B) nonalternating voiceless plosive:
>     [sanat]    'art'       [sanatM]  'art-ACC'
>     [sanatlar] 'art-PL'    [sanatMm] 'art-1Sg'
> (C) nonalternating voiced plosive:
>     [etyd]     'etude'     [etydy]   'etude-ACC'
>     [etydler]  'etude-PL'  [etydym]  'etude-1Sg'
My analysis is that (A) is /d/, (B) is /t/, and (C) is a funky borrowing
from French that breaks the rules.  Nobody says that Turkish doesn't
have vowel harmony, e.g., just because there are Fremdworter with
non-harmonic stems.

Also, is it possible that some people say [etyt] after all?  I remember
reading that although the official pron. is [klyb], many people say
[kylyb] instead, thus preserving the Altaic rule against clusters.

--
John Cowan <jcowan@...>     http://www.reutershealth.com
I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen,    http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith.  --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_

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