LL-L: "Pronunciation" LOWLANDS-L, 01.SEP.2000 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 01.SEP.2000 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Pronunciation"

> From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
> Subject: Pronunciation
>
> Hi, Lila!
>
> You wrote:
>
> > Is there anybody else who finds the idea of generalizing
> Germans as > 'grumpy'  etc.because their language pronunciation
> makes them so, > utterly childish?
>
> I am pretty sure you aren't alone there.  However, I don't think
> it is worth
> expending much energy on dealing with such things.  Whatever the

Yes, I had a thought or two on this but the question was whether
it was worth bothering to reply at all.

As for the "thoughts": as a lipreader I never notice when someone
speaks in a foreign language - all other things being equal, all
spoken languages look the same. Once I'm _told_ that someone is
speaking, say, French, then I may notice that they're pouting more
than English or Scots would, but even then it may not be visible,
and at any rate I'd have to know the language fairly well to notice
any of its features.

As for the French, German &c secondary vowels - these look identical
to primary vowels to me, the secondary effect being very subtle
indeed.

There's a lot of pseudoscience about. The whole point of science
is to use a methodology to remove one's preconceptions from one's
research as far as possible. But some people with research grants
just don't get it - they set out to find support for their
preconceptions, not remove them. It's not science.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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