[lojban-beginners] Re: mp3 files: can you help?

[m.kornig@sondal.net]

Selon Alex Martini <alexjm@umich.edu>:

> I'm going to answer the rest of these together. Watch out, especially
> as a beginner learning Lojban from English, that you don't use the
> English vowel pronunciations. In English, what we write as one vowel
> and call one vowel is very often multiple vowel sounds.
>
> (this table assumes you've got a fixed width font, like Courier set)
>
> English   Lojban
> long a    {ei}
> long e    {i}
> long o    {ou}
> long u    {iu}
>
> Grab yourself a sucker (lolipop) -- or a straw or popsicle stick if
> you'd prefer less sweet. Put it in your mouth, stand in front of a
> mirror, and pronounce the English "long" vowels. You'll be able to
> feel and see that your lips and toungue move while you say the vowel.
>
> (and another table...)
>
> English   Lojban	    Movement
> long a    {ei}      tongue moves forward
> long e    {i}       tongue rises a little bit
> long o    {ou}      lips go together
> long u    {iu}      tongue drops; lips go together
>
> Now that you've got that figured out -- stop it!! (zo'o) In Lojban,
> your tongue and lips stay STILL when you pronounce them. Try the same
> thing again with the sucker and mirror now, and make sure they aren't
> moving. There is a range of proper vowels, but they are all "pure"
> vowels -- the kind where your mouth doesn't move when you say them.

I agree, Alex. Since you bothered about explaining diphthongs
in detail, this feature of the pronunciation of Lojban seems
to be important to you. That was/is my point.

Martin