Re: latin verb examples and tense meanings

On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:01:35 -0500 Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> writes:
> Steg Belsky wrote:
> > active:  macta:o: | macta:i: | macta:i | macta:i:mu: | macta:iti |
> > macta:un
> Do _a:i:_ and _a:i_ form diphthongs?  If so, how would they be
> distinguished from each other?  It seems like they'd both become
> something like /a:j/
.

Nope...they're pronounced [max'tA ij] and [max'tA i], each with 3
syllables.  Neither of them is reduced to a glide, but there isn't really
a glottal stop or anything between them.

> > note:  {s} is /S/, and {t} after a "big" vowel is [s]. all the
> > {c}s there are [x].
> How did /s/ become /S/?  And can /s/ exist after "small" vowels?  Do
> all {c}'s = /x/, or just those in coda position?
>
> --
> AIM Screen-Name: NikTailor
.

I'm not sure what process turns /s/ into /S/, but according to my book on
Romance languages it happened in Portuguese, and some other langs.  [s]
can exist after "small" vowels if it's the end of a syllable, the same
places where {c} /k/ becomes [x].


-Stephen (Steg)
 "Vorks or miles, it will make no difference when the Stars come out." ~
_nightfall_