Re: USAGE: [a] vs [A]

In a message dated 6/13/2003 2:49:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
markjreed@MAIL.COM writes:


>The [A] sound is not really associated with any particular region,
>but is common to many; it's the same sound as the Latin long A,
>preserved as the sole A sound in most of the modern Romance languages.


I recall reading somewhere that in most languages with roughly triangular
vowel systems, like /i e a o u/ and /i e E a O o u/, the /a/ is generally about
halfway between IPA [a] and IPA [A] , since vowels tend to be very roughly
evenly spaced, other things equal. (It would not be efficient to have the lone low
vowel crammed into the front with an unused gap in back or vice versa.)

Not being very expert at phonology, I can't shed further light on this claim.

Doug

Reply