Re: Three vowel systems (was: Brr)

>Joseph Fatula wrote:
>> T. A. McLeay wrote:
>
>>> Do I read you right in claiming a vowel system comprised of /i: i I: I
>>> 1: 1/? Is there an anadew for that?
>>
>> It contains those sounds, yes.  I'm not sure whether to call the last
>> vowel /1/ or /E/, it seems like it's somewhere in between those when I'm
>> pronouncing it.
>
>[1] and [E] aren't exactly nearby sounds unless you're using [1] to mean
>something other than a high central unrounded vowel i.e. IPA [ɨ].
>"Somewhere in between" would be something like [@] or [I].
IMHO [7] or [V] sound a bit like " a mix of [i\] and [E]", especially if the
unrounding (lip spreding) is emphasized.


>>Is this a very strange system?  It seems like Hungarian
>> has one about as complex.
>
>I have never heard of a language that has all of /i: i I: I/; indeed, my
>understanding is it's unheard of! Hungarian has a fairly boring system:
>/i: i y: y e: E 2: 2 Q A: o: o u: u/, some dialects also having /e/ (and
>all of /e: E e/ are quite low for those IPA symbols).
>
>Icelandic has /i I/ with two allophones each: [i: I:] in open syllables,
>[i I] in closed ones. But this is part of a regular/systematic process
>and is clearly allophonic; it is, however, the closest I know.
>
>--
>Tristan.
There are some African langs that have both ATR/RTR and short/long vowel
distinctions, which results in /i i: I I:/. For one example, take Somali:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_phonology

'Fcors an ATR [i] vs RTR [I] distinction is not exactly the same as a plain [i I]
distinction, but I dout we're going to find anything better.

John Vertical

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