Subject: Re: [lojban] Re: Lojban Text to Speech

From: Jim Carter <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 10:23:30 -0800 (PST)

On Sun, 6 Jan 2002, Invent Yourself wrote:
> --snip--
> I grew up speaking nothing but English, yet I have no trouble pronouncing
> both trilled "r" of any magnitude, and "x" of any strength. While "x"
> might be difficult to explain, trilled "r" is really a soft aspirated "d".
> (Oh how the pedants will strike over such a vulgarization!)

On "x", if you can spit you can speak Russian :-) In middle school we
referred to "hawking a luker".

> Avoiding trilled "r" in the speech samples because some people have
> problems with them is tantamount to drifting the language away from their
> use. In my opinion they are preferred because they are clearer to the
> unskilled at hearing Lojban (everyone!). And it is best that Americans
> attempt them because we are notorious for mutilating our vowels, and it's
> easier for us keep pur vowels straight if there is a stronger consonant
> edging it.

I seem to be one of the r-handicapped population. In French class I spent
a week trying to get my r's to trill, but never got a trace of oscillation
out of my tongue. But I was praised for the consistency of my xr's.

My understanding of the standards is that the trill is optional. Perhaps
the right way to put it is, if you can trill, do it, but if not, don't feel
guilty.

James F. Carter Voice 310 825 2897 FAX 310 206 6673
UCLA-Mathnet; 6115 MSA; 405 Hilgard Ave.; Los Angeles, CA, USA 90095-1555
Email: [email-masked] http://www.math.ucla.edu/~jimc (q.v. for PGP key)