FW: Minimal pairs

[LanDi Liu]

Anyone want to suggest a term that could describe this subclass of minimal
pairs that are limited to single feature differences (especially that are
problematic because they involve features that are not contrastive in other
languages)?  If someone comes up with a good one, I'll be sure to use it in
future writings.  : )

Randy

On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 4:21 AM, Michael Covarrubias <mcovarru at purdue.edu>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Michael Covarrubias <mcovarru at PURDUE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: FW: Minimal pairs
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> this came up in august when randy mentioned the same definition. it was
> a new one to me. i use 'minimal pair' to describe any difference of a
> single phoneme, not limited to a single feature difference.
>
> arnold zwicky said regarding the differing conventions:
>
> > the ESL lists are indeed of minimal pairs (in
> > the standard sense), but they give only the
> > distinctions in english that are likely to be
> > problematic for learners -- problematic
> > because they involve small phonetic
> > differences that are not contrastive in many
> > languages.
>
>
> ********
>
>
> Janet Marting wrote:
> > Minimal pairs was one difference in a phone/sound that appears in the
> same
> > position (e.g. sip-dip-lip-tip).
> >
> > Jinny Marting
> >
>
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--
Randy Alexander
Jilin City, China
My Manchu studies blog:
http://www.bjshengr.com/manchu

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