From araizen@newmail.net Sat Apr 27 17:08:36 2002 Return-Path: X-Sender: araizen@newmail.net X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-8_0_3_1); 28 Apr 2002 00:08:36 -0000 Received: (qmail 61032 invoked from network); 28 Apr 2002 00:08:36 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.217) by m4.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 28 Apr 2002 00:08:36 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mxout1.netvision.net.il) (194.90.9.20) by mta2.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 28 Apr 2002 00:08:36 -0000 Received: from oemcomputer ([62.0.182.17]) by mxout1.netvision.net.il (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.1 (built Sep 5 2001)) with SMTP id <0GV9008554E3HO@mxout1.netvision.net.il> for lojban@yahoogroups.com; Sun, 28 Apr 2002 03:08:28 +0300 (IDT) Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 03:08:23 +0200 Subject: Re: [lojban] What's the logic behind Lojban's sound system? To: lojban@yahoogroups.com, uaxuctum Message-id: <002001c1ee51$33c20700$11b6003e@oemcomputer> MIME-version: 1.0 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.6600 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-priority: Normal References: From: Adam Raizen X-Yahoo-Group-Post: member; u=3063669 X-Yahoo-Profile: araizen la uaxuctum cusku di'e > Lojban is presented as a "logical" language, but so > far I haven't been able to find the logic and consistency > of its sound system. The logical part has to do with the grammar and not the sound system. As far as I know, the sound system was originally created rather idiosyncratically and has evolved over the years, so it's more complex than that of some natural languages. Probably the answer to most of your questions is "because that's how English does it/because that would be hard for English speakers" and "for historical reasons". > 2) As full vowels i and u are spelled the same as > their semivowel counterparts, how are diphthongs ii and > uu to be pronounced, as 'yee' and 'woo' and Arabic 'yi' > and 'wu', or as Arabic 'iy' and 'uw'? as in 'yee' and 'woo' mu'o mi'e .adam.