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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Spanish 'b' and 'v'
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References: <1996Jun11.094345@deneb> <4pkftk$gj2@news01.aud.alcatel.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 21:13:01 GMT
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In article <4pkftk$gj2@news01.aud.alcatel.com>,
Stephen H. Houchen <shhouche@aud.alcatel.com> wrote:
>>If Spanish does not distinguish phonetically between the written
>>letters "b" and "v", how are they distinguished when reciting the
>>alphabet?  Is this a situation where a letter in the alphabet is
>>given an unique sound that does not exist elsewhere in the
>>language?
>
>No.  I was taught b="be grande" and v="ve chica".  Also i="i" and
>y="y griega" to distinguish those two.

Catalan, a close relative of Spanish, has a similar problem (except 
in those dialects of the Balearic Islands where <v> and <b> are
still clearly distinguished).  The names they use are "be alta" and
"ve baixa" [i.e. baja].  <y> is also "y grega" and <i> can be called
"i llatina" if absolutely necessary.

Catalan seems to be unique, though, in having two names for one
letter.  Whether <x> is called "ics" or "xeix" depends on whether it
has the value of [ks] or [gz] (as in "luxe" and "exit") or [S] (as 
in "baixa" and "xarxa"). 

  

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