LINGUIST List 12.2274

Sun Sep 16 2001

Disc: Review: O'Grady et al, Contemporary Ling

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

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1. JPKIRCHNER, Re: 12.2273, Review: O'Grady et al, Contemporary Ling, 4th ed.

Message 1: Re: 12.2273, Review: O'Grady et al, Contemporary Ling, 4th ed.

Re: Linguist 12.2273

>CHAPTER THREE Phonology: The Function and Patterning of Sounds
>
> (Michael Dobrovsky and Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins)

It should be noted that this chapter contains an error in its discussion of 
syllable onsets.

In the section called "Language-specific phonotactics", a number of languages 
are listed that have words containing the syllable onset "pl", but it is 
stated that there is no language that allows the onset "lp". This is 
mistaken. The Czech word for "to stick" or "to cling" comes in the variants 
[lpjet] and [lpi:t], and its 1st-person singular present tense form is 
[lpi:]. When Czechs are asked to parse these words into syllables, they will 
say that they can't, and that the words consist of only one syllable. Such 
words are also dealt with as monosyllabic in Czech pedagogical grammars.

Czech has a number of words that have liquids beginning onsets before stops 
and other obstruents. Examples are:

 [rti:] "lips"
 [lka:t] "to moan"
 [lZu] "I lie" (/Z/ = voiced alveopalatal fricative)
 [rtut'] "mercury"

The last two can be found diagrammed as monosyllabic in Palkova (1994), 
Fonetika a fonologie cestiny.

James Kirchner