Re: Nasal vowels (was Re: French spelling scheme)
| From: | Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Saturday, May 5, 2001, 21:34 |
|---|
Eric Christopherson wrote:
> I was just wondering the other day why the French nasal vowels evolved the
> way they did. Anyone know? Is there something in phonetic/phonological
> theory saying that nasal vowels tend to be qualitatively different (aside
> from their nasality of course) from their oral counterparts?
Well, nasal vowels tend to be perceptually less distinct than oral
vowels. Thus, there's often fewer nasal vowels than oral vowels.
--
Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon
A nation without a language is a nation without a heart - Welsh proverb
ICQ: 18656696
AIM Screen-Name: NikTaylor42
Reply