Re: Tsuhon: tentative phonology

Hi All,

I can attest first hand that the Japanese "r" is NOT a
sound you want to keep in any tongue!  Take it from
this American guy who's made Tokyo his home for the
past 4 years...  FYI, it is a cross between Spanish
thrilled "rr" and the Korean "l" - depends on the
situation, if the Japanese is shouting or upset it
tends to sound very "r"ish, but otherwise it is a
quite soft tone, like they try to say "l" but are
impended to do so.

That's my two cents on this matter.
-Matt

--- D Tse <exponent@...> wrote:
> >
> > > Yoon Ha Lee wrote:
> > > > I was thinking the Japanese alveolar tap (?),
> but then thought perhaps
> > > it
> > > > might be nice to allow various l's and other
> r's to be allophones.
> > >
> > > Please, don't keep the Japanese {r}!  :-)
> That's the one sound in
> > > Japanese I hate.  :-)  Maybe you can make it
> into /l/, a much prettier
> > > sound.  :-)
> > >
> >
> > No!!! Please keep the Japanese <r>!, that's the
> one sound in
> > Japanese I like
> > most :))))))) . An /l/? Beurk! :)
> >
> > Christophe, feeling like contracticting every one
> today
> > :))))))))))))))))))).
> >
>
>
> You know, someone played the Evangelion theme by
> force to me (I used to be
> sooooo obsessed with it, I even knew the whole theme
> by heart at one time,
> I'm definitely not any more :) and I noticed that
> Japanese <r> has allophone
> that sounds horribly like /l/! The singer uses it
> more than once and I'm
> certain that's what it sounds like! Though I've
> never heard it in speech...
>
> Imperative

=====
MATTHEW ("Matt") SWADENER
Wrk. +81-3-5293-7027  Fax. +81-3-5293-7220 (work affairs only)
Eml. matthew.swadener@nssmb.com (work affairs only)

#205 S&S City Heights, 4-27-4 Izumi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-0063 Japan
Tel. 090-1507-0271 (domestic), +81 90-1507-0271 (international)
Eml. suomenkieli@yahoo.com / suomenkieli@planetout.com (private accts.)

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