LL-L "Phonology" 2006.01.12 (01) [E]

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12 January 2006 * Volume 01
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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Phonology" 2006.01.11 (01) [E]


  From: Paul Tatum
  Subject: LL-L "Phonology" 2006.01.09 (01) [E]

  I did think that in English, the f/v distinction didn't have a high
  functional load and there weren't many minimal pairs with initial /v/
  versus /f/, but then I came up with plenty of examples: veil/fail,
  vie/fie, van/fan, vole/foal, vein/vane/fain/fane /feign, volley/folly -
  many more than I thought at first :-).

  Also, the case of fox vs. vixen is probably relevant, though I don't
  know the exact history of vixen (i-mutated derivative from fox: 
*fuXs-in-?).

  Bye, Paul Tatum
Many southwestern English people habitually voice all consonants, it's a 
common identifier of the region.  For example the county of Somerset is 
commonly pronounced "Zummerzet" by its inhabitants.  Where voicing affects 
meaning, you basically rely on context: "I feel fine" would be something 
like "Oi veel voin", but you're not going to confuse "feel" with calf meat, 
or "fine" with something grapes grow on, even though they'd pronounce "veal" 
and "vine" the same way.

In Iran, when I was learning a bit of Persian, I had a real problem with 
words like -asb- "horse; As an English speaker I tended to voice the "s" as 
it's hard to say it unvoiced when followed by a voiced consonant such as 
"b". Otherwise, I said "asp".  But in Persian, unlike English, it really 
*does* make a difference.

Paul 

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