Re: CHAT: IPA Question

On Fri, 21 Jun 2002 05:58, Peter Clark wrote:
> On Thursday 20 June 2002 11:17 am, Steg Belsky wrote:
> > It could be a voiced pharyngeal approximant, a.k.a. the Semitic |`ay(i)n|
> > sound.
>
>         Do you know of any sound files for this sound? I'm just curious,
> since my Hebrew instructor basically said, "Pretend that it isn't there,
> you can't pronounce it." Translation: he had no clue how it was pronounced
> and didn't want to make a fool of himself. :) I was a little disappointed
> that he didn't know the IPA values of Hebrew, too, which made things really
> difficult when we got to the vowels. Oh, the humanity!
If it's the same sound as |ayn| in Arabic, then J.R. Smart in my copy of
"Teach Yourself Arabic" advises you that the "breath passage is blocked deep
down in the throat by constricting the muscles near the Adam's apple, then
suddenly opened under pressure and with the vocal chords in action (give a
grunt)."

He also suggests it is an action not dissimilar to vomiting, but I personally
think the action is probably closer to coughing.

Bon chance!

Wesley Parish

>         Well, while I'm at it, if anyone knows a nice IPA chart of Hebrew
> (Biblical or Modern), I'd be interested in knowing about it.
>
>         :Peter
--
Mau e ki, "He aha te mea nui?"
You ask, "What is the most important thing?"
Maku e ki, "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata."
I reply, "It is people, it is people, it is people."