Re: Need some help with terms: was "rhotic miscellany"

On Nov 7, 2004, at 5:51 AM, Mark J. Reed wrote:
>> I think that most people understand the retroflex "r" as I do, as a
>> retroflex approximant.
> Well, I don't know and can't speak to what "most people" understand in
> this regard.  All I know is that we have historically used [r\] for the
> American R on this list, and [r\] can in CXS refer to either a dental,
> alveolar, or postalveolar approximant, but not a retroflex one.  In my
> case it is certainly postalveolar, and any retroflexion of my tongue
> tip
> is minimal.

I remember when it was commonly [r\`].  I'm pretty sure that [r\] is
just being used as a shorter, easier-to-type abbreviation.  Like [>]
instead of [_>] for the "glottalized/ejective" diacritic.


-Stephen (Steg)
  "ezekiel... he has like the crazy thing!"
      ~ brilliant biblical commentary by n