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Re: THEORY: Allophones

From:John Cowan <cowan@...>
Date:Friday, April 9, 1999, 16:15
Adam Raizen wrote:

> In Modern Hebrew, I don't think that [b] and [v], [p] and [f], [k] and > [x] are only one phoneme (respectively) anymore, even when they're > spelled with the same letter, at least not anymore than [f] and [v] are > still one phoneme in Modern English.
Robert Hetzron (in Comrie's _The World's Major Languages_) firmly agrees with you, p. 693: # Because of the tightly regulated syllable structure (only aggravated # by some loop-holes), it is impossible to decide which one(s) of the # following features: spirantization, vocalic length, gemination, # and shwa, were phonemically relevant in Biblical Hebrew. By # dropping length, Modern Hebrew unequivocally phonemicized # spirantization: [biblical] *sapar* 'he counted' and [medieval] # *sappar* 'barber' respectively became Modern Hebrew /safar/ and # /sapar/. -- John Cowan http://www.ccil.org/~cowan cowan@ccil.org You tollerday donsk? N. You tolkatiff scowegian? Nn. You spigotty anglease? Nnn. You phonio saxo? Nnnn. Clear all so! 'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)