On 9/20/05, *Colin Wright* <colin.wright@denbridgemarine.com
<mailto:colin.wright@denbridgemarine.com>> wrote:
Actually, I don't know if my comments about the PodCast will make
it to the
list - I'm having trouble getting things through. Here's a copy ...
----
Briefly, I think the "podcast" (whatever that is) was brilliant. I
downloaded
the MP3 and transcript and am working through it, understanding
the spoken
lojban and repeating the words.
I have a real problem with part of it, though. Throughout the
letter "o" is
being pronounced as the vowel sound(s) in these words:
low
though
toe
crow
This includes, specifically, in the word "lojban". My
understanding from the
written material is that the "o" sound should be a pure vowel,
pronounced as
in "topic" or "hot".
Can anyone enlighten me in this regard?
I'll more on to other misunderstandings after we've got some
feedback on this
one. I have to repeat, though, that this is an awesome achievement.
Kudos. .iosai
ki'esai kalin.
Notice how I spell your name. You spelled it koe-leen. (Actually, you
might be correct, because I've heard of one or two Colins pronounced
koelin.)
You misunderstood what you have read. "Topic", "Colin", "hot", make an
"ahhh" sound. In Lojban this is always represented by the character
"a". (Lojban has no other "a" sounds such as the "a" in "Matt" or
"cat.") English speakers usually slur the "o" sound in "low", "crow",
"toe", to blend into the "oooo" sound (from flute, root, crude) on the
end of the vowel, and that is why "o" is almost always pronounce
impurely by English speakers. Listen in the broadcast to how I try to
pronouce "o" with what appears (to English speakers) to be a foreign
accent. This is a pure "o". Pronounce Lojban "Lowzhbahn" except
without the "oo" as in "you" creeping into the end of the letter "o".