Re: History of French

From: Paul J Kriha (paul.nospam.kriha_at_paradise.net.nz)
Date: 09/19/04 

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 19:22:55 +1200

Peter T. Daniels <grammatim@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:414CC5B8.70B8@worldnet.att.net...
> Ruud Harmsen wrote:
> >
> > Sat, 18 Sep 2004 20:11:04 +0200: Mxsmanic <mxsmanic@hotmail.com>: in
> > sci.lang:
> >
> > >Brian M. Scott writes:
> > >
> > >> Imagine what his explanation would be like if his own /r/
> > >> were 'bunched r' instead of retroflex!
> > >
> > >I have yet to see a clear explanation of "bunched 'r'"; can you provide
> > >one?
> >
> > I suppose it means the tongue tip is not curled up and backwards, but
> > the whole tongue is retracted, i.e. shifted backward.
> > But it's no use bothering about the difference, because the acoustic
> > effect of either is virtually the same, as Daniel Jones already
> > pointed out in 1956 or earlier. So students can learn either, whatever
> > they find easier to learn.
> > What is even easier course, is to learn non-rhotic English (many kinds
> > of American English are also non-rhotic, not just British varieties).
> > In that case, 'world' is simply [w@:ld], which is easier and not half
> > as ugly.
>
> Spelling must be a nightmare for the non-rhotic.

Learning English in a non-rhotic English speaking country is a nightmare
for anybody.

I remember the feeling of relief when after three months into learning
English I joined a two week computer programming course given by
a rhotic Scotsman. What a joy, half the time I could actually find the
words he used and which I couldn't understand in a dictionary.

Paul JK

> How would they know when to put one in?

> Peter T. Daniels

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