--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Miguel Carrasquer <mcv@...> wrote:
> On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 02:50:29 -0700 (PDT),
> enlil@... wrote:
>
> >> On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 03:32:34 +0000, Richard Wordingham
> >
> >Erh, let's compare Miguel's quotes:
> >
> >Initially we have:
> >> mettre /mEtr/ "to put"
> >> mètre /mE:tr/ "meter"
> >> maître /mE::tr/ "master"
> >
> >Then finally after Miguel evidently can't find the post
> >in question
>
> Of course I can. So can you. Go to Google. Click on
> "Groups" above the search bar. Click on "advanced search in
> all groups". Type in "mettre maître mètre" (all words), and
> in "newsgroups", type "sci.lang". Click on OK. Click on
> the first post in the search results. Click on "View entire
> thread".
Thanks for the links. For those who find it too much effort,
wereMiguel dug up four lengthening rules from one source,
namely "Cours élémentaire de phonétique et de phonologie
françaises", by one J.J. Spa, Groningen 1978:
1) L'allongement du^ aux consonnes allongeantes
before [v], [z], [Z], [r] and [vr], and provided the vowel is at the
end of the "groupe rythmique" (syntactic stress), lengthening occurs:
tu ouvres [ty u:vr]
c'est rare [sE ra:r]
une voiture neuve [yn vwatyr noe:v]
The [y] in <voiture> is not lengthened, as it is not at the end of
the
"groupe rithmique" (G.R.). But "La voiture" by itself is [la
vwaty:r].
But:
charte [Sart] (the group [rt] does not lengthen).
2) L'allongement des voyelles nasales
A nasal vowel is lengthened at the end of the G.R. if one or more
consonants follow:
elle e'tait grande [El etE grA~:d]
But:
il e'tait bon [il etE bO~] (no cons. follows)
bonte' [bO~te] (not at the end of G.R.)
(My dictionary gives [bO~.te], and generally gives half-long for
cases
of lengthening when not at the end of the G.R.)
3) L'allongement compensateur
A vowel is lengthened (at the end of the G.R.) when there *used to
be*
an [s] after it (sic!).
fe^te [fE:t]
ma^le [mA:l]
mai^tre [mE:tr]
But:
mettre [mEtr] (no [s] in Old French)
4) L'allongement de [E] devant consonne non aparie'e (facultatif)
At the end of the G.R., [E] may be lengthened if folowed by a single
consonant, *provided* the consonant is written (sic) as a single
consonant and is followed, in writing (sic), by an <e>.
reine [rE(:)n]
ze`le [zE(:)l]
But:
belle [bEl] (written with two <l>s)
renne [rEn] (written with two <n>s)
miel [mjEl] (no <e> follows)
Rules (1) and (2) don't seem to be phonemic (unless there are some
consequent neutralisations). Rule (3) is one most of us are
acquainted with.
Rule (4) curious, as it seems not to apply before stop consonants,
but is actually the rule that looks applicable to <mètre>. Miguel
expresses distaste for it because it is orthographic, but I don't
think that is a problem. This rule seems to relate to the length
contrast between <jatte> and <Jacques> as well.
What seems to have happened is that besides the major length
differences caused by the vocalisation of /s/ before consonants
(Rule 3), vowels in open syllables were longer than vowels in closed
syllables. When E muet became silent, this lesser length difference
remained. Under this scenario, degemination would have proceeded in
parallel with the silencing of E muet.
The limited data I have is:
/a/: <patte>, <jatte>
/a./: <limonade>
/a:/: <Jacques>, <pâte>
/e/: <mettre>, <belle>, <renne>, <miel>
/e./: <mètre>, <reine>, <zèle>
/i/: <riz>, <bis>
/i:/: <rire>, <mobile>
I don't have an explanation for the contrast of /a./ and /a:/. I
suspect the gemination in <Jacques> is purely orthographic. I am
puzzled as to why <pâte> is /pa:t/ and not /pA:t/. For <métre>, I
assume the syllabification was me-tre rather than met-re.
Richard.