LINGUIST List 7.739

Thu May 23 1996

Qs: Phoneme, Thai, Spelling, Address, References

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. Martin Haspelmath, Q: phoneme inventory size and word length
2. Rakesh Bhatt, Thai phonology
3. alan harris, unabomber, unibomber, unabomer???
4. "Ingo Plag", Query: Walinska de Hackbiel
5. Lorena Perez, Erotic language studies

I have sometimes heard allegations concerning a correlation between 
phoneme inventory size and word length, i.e. languages with large phoneme 
inventories are supposed to have shorter words, whereas languages with 
small phoneme inventories tend to have longer words. This seems to be 
confirmed e.g. by French vs. Spanish, and even more dramatically by 
Abkhaz (with its 90-odd phonemes and its many single-consonant roots) 
versus Polynesian languages (which have small phoneme inventories and 
many polysyllabic roots).
 Has anyone ever tested this claim on a representative 
sample of languages? 
 And has the claim ever appeared in print? I have not been able to find 
a reference to it in the published literature.

Thanks for pointers (I'm also interested in related phenomena),
Martin Haspelmath
(Free University of Berlin)

Dear friends,

 I've not had much luck finding references on Thai phonology. In
particular I'm interested in its syllable structure/phonotactics. Does
anyone know of work in this area?

Thanks,
Rakesh

Q: What exactly is the correct spelling of "un?bom?er" and why? I have 
seen at least four variants in four different journals and newspapers.

 ===============================================================
 Alan C. Harris, Ph. D. TELNOS: main off: 818-885-2853
 Professor, Communication/Linguistics direct off: 818-885-2874
 Speech Communication Department
 California State University, Northridge home: 818-366-3165
 SPCH CSUN FAX: 818-885-2663 
 Northridge, CA 91330-8257 Internet email: AHARRISHUEY.CSUN.EDU 
 WWW homepage: http://www.csun.edu/~vcspc005

I was trying to reach Hanna Walinska de Hackbeil via her e-mail address as 
given by the nameserver in Amsterdam (linguistslet.uva.nl). Unfortunately 
the address is wrong. Does anyone have her correct e-mail address?

Many thanks in advance!

Ingo Plag
plagmailer.uni-marburg.de
- --------------------------------------


Many thanks in advance!

Best wishes,
ingo Plag

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dr. Ingo Plag
Institut fuer Anglistik und Amerikanistik
Philipps-Universitaet Marburg
Wilhelm-Roepke-Str. 6 D
D-35032 Marburg
Germany

Tel: 06421-285560
Fax: 06421-287020
e-mail: plagmailer.uni-marburg.de

HOMEPAGE: http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~plag

I am a Phd student of Linguistics and I am currently working on an essay 
on the erotic language of Lady Chatterley=B4s Lover (D.H. Lawrence). I wonder 
if anybody on the list could give me any references on books dealing with
studies of the language of erotic works, or the language of erotism in
general.
Thanks in advance.
Lorena.

Lorena Perez Hernandez
University of La Rioja
Departamento de Filologias Modernas
Edificio Quintiliano
C/ La Ciguena,s/n
26004 Logrono,La Rioja
Spain
e-mail: loperezdfm.unirioja.es