Re: Phonology

--- In conlang@y..., "M. Å." <moriquende@H...> wrote:

> With all respect, I've always found those "try to say X but say Y instead"
> instructions rather confusing - just how I'm supposed to do *that*?
Well, your lips are pretty much independent of your tongue during
articulation.  Keeping the lips in the rounded state of /u::/ and then
articulating /i::/ with the insides of the mouth is quite foolproof.

Futhermore, my instructions were far less muddy than what you quoted
here.  Try reading them more carefully.



> Should anyone else have similar difficulties, my woolhead version of /2/,
> for example, would be "say /o::/ and move your tongue forwards, keeping
> everything else carefully in the same place"
That gives me /o::::lb/.  =P



> or "say /e::/ and round your
> lips".
Which will get you /e::ju::/ from an American, because you forgot to
tell him not to change anything inside the mouth.  ;-)

And even if you did, it would still be harder for him to realize and
control the obscure happenings inside his mouth, which is basically a
black box for the non-linguist, while the lips are clearly visible
and controllable.  You can even practice it in front of the mirror if
you don't trust your lips!



-- Christian Thalmann