schwa-raising - crossing the phonemic quantum gap

[Cecil Ward]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
It really does seem that these phenomena are not simply (or solely)
"phonetic environment-governed".

One further example heard today from a news reporter on the BBC in England,
        /fælkIn/        ="falcon"
so not in contact with a syllable containing /i/ or /j/. The vowel in
question was clearly audible albeit fleeting.

But then a minute afterwards the same speaker said /falk at n/ twice, and
continued with the schwa-type pronunciation afterwards.

Clearly above the "phonemic quantum level", if I mix metaphors. Indeed
"falkin" is a possible word of English.


Cecil Ward.