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From: ludemann@netcom.com (Peter Ludemann)
Subject: Re: Acquisition of phonemes thfough foreign influences
Message-ID: <ludemannDFKMLu.G0A@netcom.com>
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References: <43q7i7$93b@ixnews2.ix.netcom.com> <43sqig$ill@decaxp.harvard.edu> <43viv3$l6g@medici.trl.oz.au> <446p1a$56m@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 15:49:06 GMT
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In article <446p1a$56m@agate.berkeley.edu>,
Patrick Chew <patchew@uclink2.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>Jacques Guy <jbm@newsserver.trl.oz.au> wrote:
>
>>Seriously, now. They have trouble pronouncing [ts'] because this
>>cluster does not occur in English. Just like they [tolemi]
>>for Ptolemy.
>
>	Urm.. I dunno, but at least my CAlifornian English has /ts/ and 
>/pt/ clusters.. albeit not word initially.. "hits" "apt".. =) 

But that's the point: English doesn't have initial "ts".  For example,
near Vancouver, British Columbia, the ferry terminal is at
"Tsawassan", derived from an indigenous place-name, which tourist
brochures explain is pronounced "Sawassan" (otherwise people would say
"Tawassan").

Of course, people from China, Japan and Germany can pronounce such
words correctly, as their languages have initial "ts".

Languages have rules about where phonemes can appear in words (not
just in syllables) ... one good example is the "vowel harmony" in
Altaic langauges (I suspect that English has its own positioning and
stress combination rules).

[disclaimer: computers scientist, not linguist.]
-- 
Peter Ludemann           ludemann@netcom.com, ludemann@expernet.com
