minimal pairs

[Gordon Selway]

As an asthmatice, I am not aware of anyone within my personal acquaintance
***who does not say 'asDm@'***.  'asma' may be heard, but would be taken as
likely to be on the lips of the possessor of a lisp.  I have heard the 'azma'
pronunciation from those who have acquired in no doubt from some kinematic or
televisual contagion.  A cispontine/transpontine difference?

Gordon Selway
<gordonselway at gn.apc.org>

At 7:55 am 19/12/00, proto-language wrote:
>Dear Pete and IEists:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "petegray" <petegray at btinternet.com>
>Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 2:33 PM

>>> 'asthma' ... fail to contain
>>> any dental fricatives at all.

>> It does in my speech and that of those around me, and in my dictionary.

>[PR]
>I have never heard a pronunciation of 'asthma' that was not /azm6/; and, of
>course, /z/ is a dental fricative.

>Obviously, we must make a distinction between dental fricatives and
>interdental fricatives: /dh/.

>[ Moderator's note:  /D/ in ASCII IPA notation. ]

>Pat