Re: Optimum number of symbols

At 8:48 PM +0100 05/24/02, Raymond Brown wrote:
>That's somewhat an exaggeration. It's perfectly possible to analyze and,
>indeed, not difficult to analyze Mandarin beyond the syllable; and altho
>much of this analysis can be done in terms of phonemes, there are important
>areas of controversy.  It doesn't lend itself to neat "phonematization" in
>the way that some natlangs do.
>
>The points of controversy are:
[snip]

Thank you for the concise summary, Ray! I've always wondered what the
fuss was about in Chinese segmental phonology, and now I have a good
idea.

Dirk
--
Dirk Elzinga                  Dirk_Elzinga@byu.edu

Man deth swa he byth thonne he mot swa he wile.
'A man does as he is when he can do what he wants.'

- Old English Proverb