Re: Number

Hi!

Tristan Alexander McLeay <zsau@...> writes:
> From: "Henrik Theiling" <theiling@...>
>
> > Not exactly, but similar: German has [C] after front vowels.  So the
> > difference is `after' instead of `before' and `front' instead of
> > `high':
> >
> >    [a], [a:], [U], [u:], [O], [o:] + [C]
> >    others                          + [x]
>
> but isn't 'ich' [IC]? Rammstein pronounces it as [IS], which i've assumed is
> their dialect's reflex of [IC], and when i learnt german, i learnt to say
> [IC], blah blah blah
Ach, bach!  Yes, yes, no, no, I mixed them up.  It is exactly the
other way around.  My goodness.  And additional to front vowels,
consonants trigger [C] as well.  So the corrected version is:

    [a], [a:], [U], [u:], [O], [o:] + [x]
    others (including consonants)   + [C]

And, of course, exceptions:
 - the morpheme -chen (little ...) is always [C@n] or
   [Cn=].  So it behaves more like a separate word.

 - -chs- is always [ks] if there is no morpheme boundary
   between -ch- and -s-:
      der Dachs   [daks]
      des Fachs   [faxs]  (gen.sg. of `Fach')

 - word-initial /ch/ is not predictable and varies in
   dialects between [C] and [k] ([x] is not possible):
      Chemie [Ce:"mi:] or [ke:"mi:]
   The standard says [C] I suppose.

Also note that most dialects have quite a deep-throat [x], almost [X],
aspecially after [a].

Hope this is complete and correct now.

**Henrik

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