LINGUIST List 7.1509

Sat Oct 26 1996

Qs: Phonology, Revision of textbook, Terms of endearment

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. Robert Ratcliffe, Phonology
2. Ed Finegan, Revision of textbook
3. kelly a meehan, Terms of endearment

Does anyone know of a language, the phonological system of which has
BOTH of the two following properties:

1. Onsets are obligatory. (That is V or VC syllables are not
permitted. And borrowed words which start with a vowel would be
supplied with a default onset. Thus the name of the language "english"
would become "yenglish" or "henglish," or something like that.)

2. Vowel and consonant length are NOT contrastive. (So we wouldn't
find contrasts between long and short vowels, or between geminate and
simple consonants.)

Thanks for your help.


Robert R. Ratcliffe
The Prefectural University of Kumamoto
Kumamoto Japan
rrrtclffpu-kumamoto.ac.jp

I am about to start revisions for a third edition of 

LANGUAGE: ITS STRUCTURE AND USE (Harcourt Brace) and would welcome ANY
comments and suggestions for improving the next edition and making it
more serviceable for students and instructors. Are some topics
treated insufficiently or not at all whose inclusion or expansion
would be valuable? I'd also welcome suggestions about improving the
exercises and other end-of-chapter materials, as well as the "Answer
Key" (instructor's manual) that accompanies the second edition.


	Ed Finegan 	
	Department of Linguistics
	University of Southern California	
	Los Angeles, CA 90089

E-mail address: fineganmizar.usc.edu

Currently, I am working on a paper comparing terms of endearment used
in Spanish and those used in English. I am basing my analysis on a
framework established by Kristine Fitch, Assistant Professor at the
University of Colorado - Boulder, in her article entitled "The
interplay of linguistic universals and cultural knowledge in personal
address: Colombian "madre" terms". My aim is to compile lists of
terms of endearment (excluding 'pet names')for both genders from both
languages; to compare who they are used with, how and why they are
used; and finally, to establish when and how misunderstandings arise
between speakers of both languages when terms of endearment are used
as a form of addressing someone. If anyone knows how I may get in
touch with Dr. Fitch or has any suggestions as to who or what I can
use as a resource for my research, please e-mail me promptly! I will
post a summary of all responses to this entry.

Kelly Meehan
Florida International University
Miami, FL.
Department of English/Linguistics