At 12:06 AM 12/8/02 +0000, And Rosta wrote:
Craig to Jordan:
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]
Furthermore, [ihi] is so difficult to articulate that I think we can
safely assume that nobody actually does say [ihi].
Both Nora and I say it, and we can clearly distinguish between that and ixi
when said by the other. For me ixi sounds more like "ici" than "ihi".
"ifi" and "iTi seem to closer to me than any of the others.
So far as I know, only "iTi" has been tried as an alternate realization of
"i'i" instead of "ihi". Thomeone in the firth clath tried using T and it
really did thound like he lithped. When he tried for clear separation from
"s", it sounded instead like f.
lojbab