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Re: USAGE: syllables

From:Isaac A. Penzev <isaacp@...>
Date:Friday, June 13, 2003, 11:57
Jan van Steenbergen awrat:

> --- Joe skrzypszy: > > > > In my understanding, the minimum phoneme for a > > > syllable is a vowel. (Then there's Russian which uses > > > single consonants as prepositions :)).)
How could I miss the line?? Russian prepositions _v_, _k_ and _s_ are *not* syllabic!
> > A single 'vocalic' would be a better term. Including syllabic consonants. > > Except that those consonants are not syllabic at all. Since a preposition will > never appear on its own, it can easily form a close unit with the word it > preceeds (almost making it a prefix). This is ultimately proven by the fact > that in certain cases it breaks the omnipresent law in Slavic linguistics that > final yers always disappear, for example (in Polish): > _z_ "with" > _ze mnЦ_ "with me" > _w_ "in" > _we mnie_ "in(to) me"
The same in Slovakian. Almost the same in Czech.
> In other cases, it would be incorrect to pronounce the preposition > syllabically: _w domu_ "at home" should be pronounced ['vdOmu].
That's the model Russian inclines to.
> In Ukrainian also the opposite exists: when preceded by a vowel, initial > consonants can become non-syllabic semivowels: > _i_ "and" > _j_ > _u_ "at, with" > _v_ [w] > > Correct me if I'm wrong, Yitzik.
You are right.
> Jan
-- A tired Yitzik