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

On Wed, May 16, 2001 at 06:38:00AM +0000, 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  :)
Ok, but is this an example of polysemy (i.e. "retroflex" can mean two
separate things, one of which applies to consonants, the other to vowels),
or is rhoticity in vowels actually the _same_ as (or at least analogous to)
retroflexion in consonants?

--
Eric Christopherson / *Aiworegs Ghristobhorosyo