Re: Critique sought

Bryan Maloney wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Nov 1999, Nik Taylor wrote:
>
> > easily distinguished.  Remember, clarity and lack of confusion are
> > important factors in language design.  Features which can create
> > confusion tend to be eliminated.
>
> Y'mean, like "pin", "pen", and "pan", all of which are pronounced very
> similarly to each other by my sister:  [p(h)In], [p(h)In], [p(h)e:n]
Are you sure you don't mean [p_hE:n] for that last one?
The vowel [e] in most transcription systems most closely
approximates the vowel in English <pain>.

(I have that same system too, BTW)

> All the vowels in some forms of Northern Hoosier seem to be raising with
> no limit in sight!
Yeah, actually, there's a name for it:  The Great Northern
Cities Shift.  William Labov did a famous study on it:

<http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/ICSLP4.html>

======================================
Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

Non cuicumque datum est habere nasum.
It is not given to just anyone to have a nose.
        -- Martial
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