On Sun, 22 Dec 2002 03:08:07 EST, J Y S Czhang <czhang23@...> wrote:
> For a possible sci-fi short story I will be writing * , I was
wondering
>what possible sounds (phonemes) these following "genetically mutated"
>animal-humanoids would be capable of - considering their respective
mouth
>shapes (somewhat betwixt human and animal):
>
> pygmy chimpanzee-humanoids [_Homo luden Pan paniscus_]
>... their name for themselves (both _hommage_ and boastful play on
words):
>"Good-alls" (disparagingly called "bonzos")
>
> cat-humanoids [_Homo luden Cattus (talkative Siamese, of course ;)_]
>... name given to them that they liked: "Bella-Pella" {beauty-fur}
>
> wolf-dog-humanoids [Homo luden Lupus-Canus_ (timber wolf-German
Shephard
>mix)] ... self-proclaimed "Uldhedhnari" or "Harii" (disparagingly called
>"werewolves" and "fidos")
>
> * the story involves a multi-generational spaceship in 2369 CE... In
>order to save certain animal DNA without taking up ultra-valuable space
on
>the ship (and also to utilize/exploit some excellent animal
physiological,
>mental and emotional character traits), mutant "homizoid crew members"
are
>lab-created by "piggy-backing" and "splicing" animal DNA onto human DNA.
>
Chimpanzees sometimes vocalize both inhaling and exhaling, the
chimp-hybrids might choose to do that as well, probably only for
word-initial or word-final consonants.
I think the cat and dog hybrids may have trouble with labial and
lip-rounded sounds, especially if they have cleft upper lips like genuine
animals of the order Carnivora. With their long flexible tongues, they
will probably have a larger set of consonants in the range between velar
and dental to compensate. I imagine that the cats, at least, would have an
interesting set of retroflex liquids with the tongue tip curled down.
----
"Everyone's different, except me." --Noktakanto