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Re: What's Wrong with These Tones?

From:Kristian Jensen <kljensen@...>
Date:Thursday, May 20, 1999, 6:26
Jim Grossmann wrote:

> >Is is unnatural or awkward to have words with all high tones? >
Certainly not.
>In a register tone language with two tones, high and low, which
tone is more
>marked?
Based on the literature I have read, I would say that the high tone would tend to be considered the marked tone - even if the high tone dominates.
> >Is the scheme at all natural? >
I don't know of any natlangs that work this way, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist. If they do not in fact exist, I still don't see why it could not have evolved that way.
>More importantly, are there reasons why it would be difficult to
learn or
>use in comparison with natural systems?
Looks like an easy system to learn since word class is automatically associated with a certain combination of tones. -kristian- 8-)