Isn't the second vowel letter (i in ai, o in ao) used to indicate roundness
(or was it backness?)? E.g. Dun Laoghaire is currently (or was in 1979)
pronounced roughly like I'd pronounce "done leery"; but I gathered that the
second word once had three syllables, and that the first had a low back
rounded vowel, while the second had a low back unrounded vowel (or, if the
indication was for backness, low back unrounded and low front unrounded).

Or am I getting confused with some other language?



- Peter


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Peter Constable

Non-Roman Script Initiative, SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75236, USA
Tel: +1 972 708 7485