Re: A break in the evils of English (or, Sturnan is beautiful)
| From: | Andreas Johansson <and_yo@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Friday, April 26, 2002, 19:32 |
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I wrote:
>Daniel Andreasson wrote:
>>Andreas Johansson wrote:
>>
>> > Does length count? Swedish (at least most variants thereof)
>> > have [e:], [E:] and [E], but no [e]. [E] is one of the
>> > commonest sounds, too.
>>
>>I've thought about this and it might be that we have [e] as
>>well. The prefix (now lexicalized) _be-_ in words like
>>_bedragen_, _besviken_ and _bemedlad_ are definitely pronounced
>>with an [e]. At least by me. It might be [@] (or even omitted)
>>in very rapid speech, but it's definitely not [E]. I say these
>>words:
>>
>>[be"drA:g@n]
>>[be"svi:k@n]
>>[be"me:dlad]
>>
>>Not that it can be contrasted with anything. There aren't
>>any minimal pairs.
>>
>>Thoughts?
>
>In slow and careful speech I appear to have [be;'mA:gEn],
Eek? That's supposed to be [be;'drA:g@n], of course.
Andreas
>[be;'sv_0i:k@n],
>[be;'me:dlad]. In rapid speech, I seem to have something between [e], [E]
>and [@] in the initial syllable. Same for the first syllable in words like
>"teleskop", "telefon". If pressed for an explanation, I'd claim there's an
>underlaying /e:/.
>
>It may be noted that my mother has an phonemic contrast between /e/ and
>/E/.
>She won't, for instance, accept that "bäst" and "best" are homophones, and
>indeed pronounces them as [bEst] and [best]. Presumeably a left-over from
>her native dialect Västgötska (her speech is pretty much "standard"
>nowadays).
>
> Andreas
>
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