Re: Using word generators (was Re: Semitic root word list?)

On Jan 10, 2007, at 10:16 AM, David J. Peterson wrote:

> Jonathan wrote:
> <<
> The first example to come to mind would be
> initial /sf/ in English (a cluster, not a phoneme, but the analogy
> holds), which is restricted AFAIK to a small group of low-frequency
> Greek loans.
> >>
>
> The thing I always found fascinating about /sf/ is that it was
> probably pretty alien to English when it was introduced, but
> it survived, whereas /sr/ certainly did not in things like Sri
> Lanka =/Sr/ and srong > saraong /s@r/.  I know some people
> that pronounce Sri Lanka with an /sr/ sequence--I certainly
> try to--but on the whole, I'd say most shift it to to the allowable
> /Sr/.  Could it be the presence of words like "svelte" that allowed
> this?
Out of curiosity, which pronunciation is etymologically more
accurate, /sri/ or /Sri/? If it's the same word as the Indian title
of respect, /Sri/ would be closer, since the title is /Cri:/ in
Sanskrit. (I know this has nothing to do with how people actually
pronounce it in English. The AHD, for one, lists both, but /sri/ is
listed first. I've always said /sri/.)

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