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From: deb5@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Acquisition of phonemes thfough foreign influences
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References: <43q7i7$93b@ixnews2.ix.netcom.com> <43shrv$med@clarknet.clark.net> <4480mq$f47@mars.earthlink.net> <4494ov$2bc@clarknet.clark.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 15:24:41 GMT
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In article <4494ov$2bc@clarknet.clark.net>,
Harlan Messinger <gusty@clark.net> wrote:
>bodhi@earthlink.net wrote:
[much deleted]
>: >Japanese, for example, has no way of representing syllable-final /s/. 
>: 
>: Ah, but it does.  Please recall the correct pronunciation of desu or shimasu.
>: When /u/ falls between voiceless consonants, or occurs in word-final position
>: following a voiceless consonant, it is devoiced as well.  Same with /i/.
>
>That's exactly what I was saying. They _adapt_ final -s by converting it 
>to their syllable -su, which is conveniently pronounced with unvoiced -u, 
>but which is still not the same as not having a -u at all; whereas 
>Japanese final -n IS just -n.
>
Not exactly.  Japanese word final /n/ is realised as nasalisation of the
preceding vowel.  To English (and German) speakers, this generally
sounds like [N].  Thus, Japanese <yan> sounds more like English "young" 
than the official transliteration, <yanggu>.

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