R and r

[Eduard Selleslagh]

----- Original Message -----
From: "petegray" <petegray at btinternet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 29, 2000 9:20 PM

> Ed suggested a contrast in Classical Greek (rho / rho with spiritus asper or
> dasemon)?

> I cannot think of any words where there would such a contrast.  In the
> absence of such words, the presence or absence of the spiritus asper is
> purely mechanical, and therefore not phonemic, so there cannot be a phonemic
> contrast.   Some modern publications no longer even print the spiritus
> asper, since it is so predictable.

[Ed]

I would be extremely surprised by there not being a contrast: why would they
have invented this unobvious orthography in the first place? Note that
rho-sp.a. or the combination rho-rho-sp.a. occurs in the positions where you
could expect a 'fortis' R, very similar to the occurrence of rr in Spanish
(word-initially and in case of gemination), and the one in Portuguese. The
spiritus asper is strongly suggestive of some form of aspiration.

Specialists: 'what say you'?

Ed.