15.3208, Sum: Minimal Pairs in Uighur

[LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-15-3208. Mon Nov 15 2004. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 15.3208, Sum: Minimal Pairs in Uighur

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Wayne State U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>

Reviews (reviews at linguistlist.org)
        Sheila Collberg, U of Arizona
        Terry Langendoen, U of Arizona

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, Wayne
State University, and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Jessica Boynton <jessica at linguistlist.org>
================================================================

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.


===========================Directory==============================

1)
Date: 15-Nov-2004
From: Jennifer Seale < jenmseale at hotmail.com >
Subject: Minimal Pairs in Uighur



-------------------------Message 1 ----------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:25:18
From: Jennifer Seale < jenmseale at hotmail.com >
Subject: Minimal Pairs in Uighur


Regarding query http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/15/15-3145.html

The following are responses that I recieved on my question regarding
minimal pairs in Uighur. It has been suggested I post them so that we all
may benefit. Thank you so much for your replies!

Patrick Chew suggested the following resources:

Ronald Hahn's "Spoken Uyghur"
Vern Lindblad's work on vowels in Uyghur
Vaux's work on Uyghur at the following URL:
http://www.uwm.edu/~vaux/uyghur.pdf


Ann Denwood supplied minimal pairs along with the following explanations:


1. Firstly, Uighur has a phenomenon similar to some speakers of British
English who insert a linking r, eg. shah - r - of Persia, vanilla -r-
icecream etc.

Uighur baha 'price, value' and bahar 'spring, season'

baha-r-im and bahar- im (1st p. poss)

Both these words are exceptions in the sense that they do not obey the
so-called 'umlaut' rule, whereby we would predict *bahirim. This has to
do with their origin in Arabic or Persian (I think) and the fact that the
vowel a is long in their original language. (Also baha should become baham
and not baharim if it behaved regularly)

2. The other phenomenon is a/i alternation (mentioned above), which can
make apparent minimal pairs.

at 'horse' itim 'my horse' itimda/itimde 'my horse(loc)'

et 'meat' itim itimde

it 'dog' itim itimde (although this may be pronounced sht, shtim etc).

3. This alternation fails in another pair of words.

bala 'child' balisi (3p.poss)

bala 'disaster' balasi (3p poss). Again an Arabic word with original
final long vowel and missing consonant.

Linguistic Field(s): Phonology

Subject Language(s): Uyghur (Language Code: UIG)




-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-15-3208