Re: New Try from a New Guy

Quoth H. S. Teoh:

> The IPA is not intended to represent every possible sound, since there is
> practically an infinite number of variations, differing from person to
> person, from region to region, etc.. AFAIK, a sound is only included in
> the IPA chart if there is a known natlang which makes a *phonemic*
> distinction between that sound and the next closest sound.
...and with the vowels, it's even less "true to life"--the positions of IPA
vowels were chosen not because of their inclusion in natlangs, but because
of their geometric position. [i], then, is defined as the vowel absolutely
maximally high and front (max F1 and F2, technically), [u] is the vowel
maximally high and back and rounded, etc.; but the creators of the chart
weren't basing these values on extant forms in any language--they were just
trying to create some stable reference points.

-Josh

----------
Josh Brandt-Young <vionau@...>
"After the tempest I behold, once more, the weasel."
(Mispronunciation of Ancient Greek)