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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: /I/ and /E/ (was: Adults and (second) language learning)
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Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 15:45:18 GMT
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In article <bmoore-2104950913150001@bmoore.qualcomm.com>,
Holoholona <bmoore@qualcomm.com> wrote:
>Now, I could be wrong, but I think this has to do with the phonemic
>structures of the languages at a very basic level.

I basically agree with you on this.  However, if I'm allowed to nit-
pick...

>For the most part, Australians pronounce S's and G's, etc, the
>same way Americans and South Africans do.  The only exceptions are the
>D-for-edh and T-for-theta switches that you'll hear in some dialects,
>which by the way, are usually regarded as "uneducated."

Another important phonemic neutralisation (I hope that's the right
term) that takes place in American English is d,t -> [flap] /V_V.
That is, medial /t/ and /d/ become an apico-aveolar flap in the middle
[miRL] of a word.
    |

I can't think of any minimal pairs that fall together, though.  I 
imagine 'rider' and 'writer' must for some people, but for most
a) vowel length (English vowels are allophonically lengthened before
voiced consonants) or b) centralisation (some speakers, like me, 
centralise the first vowel of the [aj] diphthong before unvoided
stops; i.e. [rajRr] "rider" vs. [r@jRr] "writer."
                 |                   |

[Note on transcription:  I'm deviating from standard IPA for ASCII
by using [r] for a retroflex approximate and [R] for the aforementioned
flap.]

And there are a few other important consonant isoglosses:  rhotic vs.
non-rhotic (arguably a vocalic distinction), word-final [L] vs. [o],
initial [h] vs. [0].  But for the most part, I agree with Holoholana.



-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
