X-Digest-Num: 21 Message-ID: <44114.21.85.959273823@eGroups.com> Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 11:26:51 +0200 (EET) From: Robin Turner Subject: X-files X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 85 Content-Length: 952 Lines: 27 A question about pronunciation (pretty academic since 99% of Lojban communication is printed, but I do like to mutter Lojban to myself occasionally!). The Book gives a range of acceptable variants for several Lojban sounds, which I think is admirable, but only one pronunciation for "x". Apart from the fact that some people find /x/ (as in Bach) unaesthetic, it's also difficult for speakers of some languages to spit out (especially if it is an initial consonant, and especially you have a sore throat). Would the following alternatives be acceptable? 1. A softer "ch" as in German "welchen"; 2. A very breathy "h" as in Mandarin Chinese "Hobei"; 3. A throaty "kh" as in, if I remember rightly, Arabic "Khaled". (sorry, it's so long since I studied phonetics, I can't remember the correct terminology). Such alternatives would, I think, ease pronunciation for people who don't speak German/Arabic/Klingon. co'o mi'e robin.