Quoth John Cowan:
> Don Blaheta wrote:
> > Aber nat=FCrlich! When -chen is added (-lein too? I forget), it fronts
> > the main vowel, i.e. umlauts it. Thus "Katz" but "K=E4tzchen", "Mad" b=
ut
> > "M=E4dchen", and presumably "Kuh" but "K=FChchen".
>=20
> Often but not always. Anyway, if so, that ruins the supposed perfect
> minimal pair kuchen/Kuhchen.
It does indeed ruin the minimal pair. Can you provide any examples
where the main vowel *isn't* fronted?
--=20
-=3D-Don Blaheta-=3D-=3D-dpb@cs.brown.edu-=3D-=3D-<http://www.cs.brown.edu/=
~dpb/>-=3D-
The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that
procession but carrying a banner. --Mark Twain