Vowel breaking in Russian
Jules Levin
ameliede at EARTHLINK.NET
Mon Sep 23 01:51:51 UTC 2013
If you start from the phonological level, and assume 5 vowels (with
whatever 'yes, buts' you want to throw in), and consonants that are
either palatalized OR labialized/velarized, then all the
diphthongal/diphthongoidal/diphthongish phenomena can be understood as
transitions. When under emphasis a vowel is prolongued for dramatic
effect, those transitions become more audible, even to naive listeners.
They also clearly show up on sound spectrographs.
The n'ea is probably the vowel /e/ heading toward a velarized /t/ that
is then elided.
Jules Levin
Los Angeles
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