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Re: Aesthetics



On Sat, Dec 07, 2002 at 03:28:24PM -0500, Craig wrote:
> >> >> Presumably And was indending to replace them with another letter?
> >>
> >> >Like and H or a Q, possibly pronounced like "theta"?
> >>
> >> This would be useful in, eg, translating Twain - it allows us to spell out
> >> alternative pronunciations. But in normal writing, it would only be
> >> divisive; I dislike h for ' because [h] is not an optimal pronunciation and
> >> /h/ pronounced [T] is just crazy.
> 
> >Why is [h] not an optimal pronunciation for '?  (Yes I know the
> >title of the thread is 'aesthetics', but you seem to be implying
> >there's some kind of reason).
> 
> Because there is a greater phonic contrast between [T] and [f] or [s] than
> between [h] and [x].

I disagree.  To me, [s] sounds almost like [T].  But [x] and [h]
sound *totally* different.

This line of reasoning is bogus anyway though; languages can divide
their sounds however they want.

-- 
Jordan DeLong - fracture@allusion.net
lu zo'o loi censa bakni cu terzba le zaltapla poi xagrai li'u
                                     sei la mark. tuen. cusku

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