From a-rosta@alphaphe.com Sun Apr 28 09:08:29 2002 Return-Path: X-Sender: a-rosta@alphaphe.com X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-8_0_3_1); 28 Apr 2002 16:08:29 -0000 Received: (qmail 92718 invoked from network); 28 Apr 2002 16:08:27 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.216) by m12.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 28 Apr 2002 16:08:27 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO smtp.alphaphe.net) (217.33.150.223) by mta1.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 28 Apr 2002 16:08:27 -0000 Received: (qmail 16786 invoked by uid 101); 28 Apr 2002 16:08:17 -0000 Received: from host213-1-7-119.webport.bt.net (HELO oemcomputer) (213.1.7.119) by smtp.alphaphe.net with SMTP; 28 Apr 2002 16:08:17 -0000 To: Subject: RE: [lojban] What's the logic behind Lojban's sound system? Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 17:08:49 +0100 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 X-EDATA: smtp.alphaphe.net 1.6.2 0/1000/N X-AntiVirus: scanned for viruses by AlphaPhe.Net (www.alphaphe.net) From: "And Rosta" X-Yahoo-Group-Post: member; u=110020381 X-Yahoo-Profile: andjamin Craig: > >5) Why does lojban use such a rare phonemical > >opposition as /h/ vs. /x/, which moreover is found > >in just one of the languages it takes as 'models' > >(only Arabic contrasts them)? > > It doesn't. An equally correct pronunciation of ' is as an unvoiced th > sound. The fact remains that Lojban DOES contrast [h] and [x], and likewise contrasts [c,] (as an exponent of /'/) and [x]. The phonology of /'/ and /@/, where /@/ = buffer vowel is so stupid -- so unlike anything in natlangs -- that it is simply indefensible. The inventors of Lojban were not omniscient; they had very good ideas about very many things, but phonology was a blind spot. --And.