Re: [tied] Re: Laryngeals revisited

At 3:45:03 PM on Thursday, June 30, 2005, Rob wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott"
> <BMScott@...> wrote:

>> At 2:23:11 PM on Thursday, June 30, 2005, Rob wrote:

>>> English /l/ also preserves back vowels -- compare 'talk'
>>> and 'walk' vs. 'tack' and 'whack'.

>> Again, it isn't a matter of preservation: ME /tAlk&(n)/ >
>> EME /tAU(l)k/ > PDE /tO:k/.

> Yes it is. The postvocalic lateral prevented /a/ from
> becoming /&/.

(Careful: we use '&' for schwa, so you mean /æ/.) What,
precisely, do you claim is *preserved* here? The /l/
created a diphthong /AU/ which then followed the normal
course of that diphthong. Obviously I'm not saying that the
/l/ had no effect; I'm objecting to your description of that
effect.

Brian