Re: Pharingials, /l/ vs. /r/ in Southeast Asia

Staving Nik Taylor:
>Trebor Jung wrote:
> > What are pharingial vowels or consonants?
>
>Sounds produced by lowering the tongue root (that is, the very back of
>the tongue) into the upper throat.  I found that it took quite a bit of
>practice to get it.
>
> > Does Chinese have /l/ or /r/, or both? It's claimed that Old Volapük
> > has no /r/ because it's hard for Chinese people to pronounce, but I've
> > seen <rén> given as a Chinese word.
>
>Chinese (Mandarin, at least, I believe other languages) have both.  The
>inventor of Volapuk was simply mistaken on the "r" issue.
>
> > Is there a 'liquid trend' in
> > southeast Asia, leaning towards one or the other?
>
>Not that I know of.

Nihongo wa l ga dewa arimasen.

(Japanese haþnot l).

Pete

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