--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Rob" <magwich78@...> wrote:
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Grzegorz Jagodzinski"
> <grzegorj2000@...> wrote:
> > And what about English, esp. British? Has it /a/?
>
> Not really, from what I understand. Even words like "father", in
> British English, are often pronounced like "fother".
I don't think I've ever heard 'father' pronounced with a rounded
vowel. (I'm English, and have lived in the North Midlands and South,
with a brief stay in Scotland.) Possibly English does not have /a/,
but the vowels of _bat_ and _but_ may have pronunciations best
described as [a]. In fact, I believe it is currently 'official' that
the RP pronunciation of /æ/ is [a].
Two more languages without [a]:
1. Sanskrit - remember Panini's 'a a'? (I.e. /a/ is [V].)
2. Thai, though before a glottal stop what is denoted /a/ can sound
more like [a] then [V].
Both Sanskrit and Thai have [a:].
Richard.