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Re: phi-theta [was: Hellenish oddities]

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Thursday, November 23, 2000, 20:13
Raymond Brown wrote:
> I don't, of course, know how you say "potato" but IME Brit English doesn't > have either [p_ht_h] or [pt_h] as syllable initial combos.
It's normally [p_h@'t_hej*ou], but when spoken quickly the schwa *and* aspiration may be dropped from the first syllable creating ['pt_hej*ou]
> It should be remembered that ancient Greek /pt/ developed from an earlier > */pj/ --> *[pç]
Interesting, I'd never thought of palatized /p/ becoming /pt/. That's something to think about in descendants of Uatakassí.
> especially as the combo [p_ht_h] actually does occur in known natlangs.
I didn't say it didn't, just that I found it an odd combination.