Re: Rhoticity

From: "Eric Christopherson" <rakko@...>
> > > Is there really a relation between rhoticity and retroflexion?
> >
> > Not necessarily.  Retroflexion is only one of the ways to create a
rhotic
> > sound.
>
> Ok. I'm just wondering why it is they're marked with the same diacritic
(`)
> in X-SAMPA (perhaps SAMPA too?).

From the X-SAMPA document:

    6. Redefinition of ASCII 39 suggests that we might extend
    parallel treatment to the grave accent, or reverse apostrophe,
    ' or `, ASCII 96. Hitherto SAMPA has defined it as meaning
    Falling tone, but for this the SAMPROSA group suggest F or
    \ as alternatives. I propose that it be given the role of
    *diacritic to show r-colouring*, on the current IPA chart termed
    Rhoticity. This is a feature of the General American vowels
    of _color_ and _bird_, in the Kenyon and Knott transcription
    /"kVl@`/, /b3`d/. Under this proposal SAMPA would represent
    these as /"kVl@`/ and /b3`d/.

    Actually, this diacritic could well be given a wider
    interpretation. The IPA symbols for retroflex consonants,
    [t`, d`, n`, s`, z`, l` r`, r\`], do not formally contain a
    diacritic, although they all include a rightward tail. It is
    a short step to propose that ASCII 96 be used in SAMPA to
    show retroflex consonants, by attaching it to the symbol for
    the corresponding alveolar. No ambiguity arises through this:
    the IPA rhoticity hook applies to symbols for vowels, the
    retroflexion tail to consonants. In any case, r-coloured
    ('rhotic') vowels are sometimes themselves termed retroflex.


        *Muke!