Re: USAGE: syllables

David Starner sikyal:

> > However, languages can pick and choose which of these they actually
> > distinguish between. English, for example, uses the following classes:
>
> > 1) Stops and fricatives
> > 2) Nasals
> > 3) Liquids and semivowels ([j] and [w])
> > 4) All other vowels
>
> > This obviously combines several of the possible distinctions above.
> > The notion of sonority class also interacts with the idea of "minimum
> > sonority distance", which specifies how far apart segments at the beginning
> > of a syllable must be. In English, the minimum sonority distance is 2.
> > Therefore, [pl], [kr], and [tw] are valid ways to begin an English
> > syllable, but [pm] and [nl] are not since the sonority of those segments
> > is too close together.
>
> [sn]ow, [st]ring.
Which illustrates a different principle. English allows you to add an /s/
to the beginning of a word where it otherwise wouldn't be allowed. This
only happens with /s/, and very occasionally with /S/. Thus [sn]ip,
[St]ick, but no words like [Tn]ip or [vg]ick. "Vroom" is peculiar because
it's onomatopoetic, and "sphere" is just an exception.

And at the end, you can add any number of coronal obstruents, giving
things like thi[Nkst]



Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/blog

Jesus asked them, "Who do you say that I am?"

And they answered, "You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground
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