From lojban-out@lojban.org Fri May 06 15:56:47 2005 Return-Path: X-Sender: lojban-out@lojban.org X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 90162 invoked from network); 6 May 2005 22:56:46 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.216) by m26.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 6 May 2005 22:56:46 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO chain.digitalkingdom.org) (64.81.49.134) by mta1.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 6 May 2005 22:56:46 -0000 Received: from lojban-out by chain.digitalkingdom.org with local (Exim 4.50) id 1DUBkS-0005rF-ET for lojban@yahoogroups.com; Fri, 06 May 2005 15:56:44 -0700 Received: from chain.digitalkingdom.org ([64.81.49.134]) by chain.digitalkingdom.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1DUBk5-0005qu-Lr; Fri, 06 May 2005 15:56:23 -0700 Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list lojban-list); Fri, 06 May 2005 15:56:18 -0700 (PDT) Received: from nobody by chain.digitalkingdom.org with local (Exim 4.50) id 1DUBju-0005qk-9F for lojban-list-real@lojban.org; Fri, 06 May 2005 15:56:10 -0700 Received: from web81306.mail.yahoo.com ([206.190.37.81]) by chain.digitalkingdom.org with smtp (Exim 4.50) id 1DUBjs-0005ps-1T for lojban-list@lojban.org; Fri, 06 May 2005 15:56:10 -0700 Message-ID: <20050506225536.70090.qmail@web81306.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [65.69.48.37] by web81306.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Fri, 06 May 2005 15:55:36 PDT Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 15:55:36 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Spam-Score: -2.6 (--) X-archive-position: 9943 X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Errors-to: lojban-list-bounce@lojban.org X-original-sender: clifford-j@sbcglobal.net X-list: lojban-list X-Spam-Score: -2.6 (--) To: lojban@yahoogroups.com X-Originating-IP: 64.81.49.134 X-eGroups-Msg-Info: 1:12:0 X-eGroups-From: John E Clifford From: John E Clifford Reply-To: clifford-j@sbcglobal.net Subject: [lojban] Re: how to pronounce ai X-Yahoo-Group-Post: member; u=116389790 X-Yahoo-Profile: lojban_out X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 24316 --- xah lee wrote: > how to pronounce ai? > > example: > > e'osai ko sarji la lojban. > Please support Lojban! > > is it simply combining the standard lojban > pronunciation for a, > followed by i, or is “ai” taken as special > combination vow and > pronounced as the i in like? > Yes. That is, it is the combination of /a/ and /i/ and that is pronounced like the /i/ in /like/. What is special here is that the /i/ is reduced to a glide in this context (also in /oi/ and /ei/), the tongue and lips moving toward but not necessarily reaching the /i/ position. In practice, the first vowel is also raised a bit in each of these cases, but not enough to justify calling it a real modification. The same happens with /au/ and -- with the glide going the opposite directions -- with /iV/ and /uV/ (V for any vowel).