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Re: CHAT: rhotic retroflexion (was: CHAT: iron worlds (etc..

From:Robert Hailman <robert@...>
Date:Wednesday, May 16, 2001, 20:13
Raymond Brown wrote:
> > At 4:51 pm -0500 15/5/01, Eric Christopherson wrote: > [snip] > > > >So retroflexion is the same as rhoticity? > > > > I quote from J.C. Wells, University of London, "Computer-coding the IPA: a > proposed extension of SAMPA". In proposing that retroflex consonants > (shown in IPA by dental/alveolars with rightward tails) be written [t`], > [d`], [s`], [z`] etc, he adds: > > "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." > > Indeed, they are. I was familiar with the term long before I met the term > 'rhotic', so I find it difficult to break the habit :)
I've always had a problem with this, because as I understand the term "retroflex", neither my /r/ nor any rhotic vowels are retroflex. Maybe my definitio is just all askew... -- Robert

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Eric Christopherson <rakko@...>