Re: Constructive Criticism Appreciated: Vowels

--- Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> wrote:
> Quoting Philip Newton <philip.newton@...>:
>
> > On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 09:01:23 +0200, Andreas
> Johansson <andjo@...> wrote:
> > > No open vowels? That's _decidedly_ unusual ...
> >
> > Wasn't it almost a universal that [a] occurs in a
> language?
> >
> > Or, at the least, /a/ (possibly realised as [A] or
> something similar,
> > if not exactly IPA [a]).
>
> There's supposed to be a universal that all
> languages have at least one low vowel.
>
>
> Andreas
>
Thank you Andreas and Phillipe for your replies.
  I'm familiar with the universal to which you refer,
and have for that reason considered adding a low open
front vowel, modal and creaky. But perhaps you can
clear some confusion for me.
 1). Is there a difference between opennes and height

     with vowles?
 2). I'm dubious about this universal. Correct me if
I'm wrong, but in Arabic isn't the low open vowel
simply a flattened allophone of the front open-mid
vowel? And I believe in Cherokee, the close-mid is the
default. Also, in most Turkish dialects, aren't truly
open vowels just allophones?

In Tlilarese, the close-mid front vowels become
open-mid when flattened, and I often find myself using
/ae/ or even /a/ for e and its kin after @ H H' X Xh.
But i could make room for two more vowels if I must.
                                            Travis



	
		
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