On Fri, 06 Jun 2003 01:01:38 -0000 "Richard Wordingham"
<
richard.wordingham@...> writes:
>
> I expect the complementary distribution became apparent when
> someone mechanically went through all the pairs of consonant
> phonemes. Does anyone know the history of the observation? Why
> aren't /w/ v. /N/ and /y/ v. /N/ considered problem pairs? Is it
> because some Americans would actually accept 'low' v. 'lung' and
> 'toy' v. 'tong' (or, using a word of limited distribution, 'dray'
> v. 'dren= > g')
> as minimal pairs?
well, in some american englishes 'toy' vs. 'tong' is a minimal pair. i
pronounce them as [t_hOj] and [t_hONg_}] ([Ng_}] is the actual phonetic
realization of /N/ in my dialect). i'd assume 'dray' and 'dreng' would be
[dZr\Ej] and [dZrENg_}] so that's another one. 'low' [loU] vs. 'lung'
[lVNg_}] wouldn't be an exact minimal pair because they have different
vowels, but 'law' [lOw] vs. 'long' [lONg_}] and 'saw' [sOw] vs. 'song'
[sONg_}] would be...
so we have exact minimal pairs for /w/ vs. /N/ and /j/ vs. /N/ in
american english, but YDMV...
> Richard.
--
Robert Wilson (aka kuvazokad, eltirno, ede�...)
http://www.kuvazokad.tk/ --
http://kuvazokad.free.fr/
http://www.bultarswan.tk/
vkky vnkynvj vknyknj ykkv knvy? karkalone kontoko? kinsi rorotan kinsa
nadas? baitta ke farzaiyai? qxrracc pqqattiircx iia kxqqhwiiallccre?
spreken �u viserdya? pake biru ka pa rede?
"boys speak in rhythm
and girls just lie."
-- anberlin - "foreign language"
"i put out disco's inferno in the early eighties
i would not be in a boy band, punk gets all the ladies
i could take the backstreet boys or hanson or n'sync
britney spears and ricky martin, we all think you stink"
-- trendy - "punk rocker"
"and i'm only gonna pierce my left ear
and i've been working on this mustache all summer long
and my favorite band will always be tears for fears
and i'm gonna wear a pink tux to the prom"
-- relient k - "in love with the 80's"
"don't try to shut me up
don't try to put words in my mouth
i'm not about plastic skin
i gotta get out, i gotta get out, in"
-- (hed) P.E. - "blackout"
narav teraz' iroti
kojes krat erarota
kuna, ysivaz' entas
naradas krat zuny narav
kuraz dityvyszi, radyji, sa rodyji
dimokrosi zosa endas
d' erensa dades kirs ins wiz
"They are not in Baghdad. They are not in control of any airport. I
tell you this. It is all a lie. They lie. It is a hollywood movie.
You do not believe them."
-- Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Iraqi Minister of Information
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCS/M/O d-(---) s: a18 C++$ UL++++>$ P+>++ L+(++)>++++ E--- W++(+++) N o?
K--- w+(--) O?> M-- V? PS PE+ Y+(++) PGP++ t+(*) 5-- X+++ R- tv b+++ DI+
D--- G++++ e h! r-->+++ y-
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
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