tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jun 23 07:13:14 1995
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Re: That's my name, don't use it up.
- From: "Mark E. Shoulson" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: That's my name, don't use it up.
- Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 10:13:12 -0400
- In-reply-to: <[email protected]> (message from Riku Anttila on Wed, 21 Jun 1995 16:05:25 -0400)
>Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 16:05:25 -0400
>Originator: [email protected]
>From: Riku Anttila <[email protected]>
>> The "r" is supposedly a lingual trill (tho Okrand often uses a back sound),
>> which is what I can't really do.
>Is trilling an r indeed that difficult? I think learned to do it in the age
>of 3, but before that it always turned to an 'l' in my mouth. Imagine what
>it must have been like not being able to pronounce my own name.
I didn't say it was difficult, I said I couldn't do it. The two need not
go together.
It actually is an embarrassing point with me. I've found I'm very good at
pronouncing exotic sounds from other languages, even when I only read
description of them (I get told by native speakers later that I have it
right). I got the "weird" sounds of Klingon, of Arabic, of Russian,
Sanskrit, etc all fine... except that blasted lingual trill! I can't seem
to get more than one tap out of it. I do a great uvular trill, but can't
manage the lingual one. I'm starting to worry it may be a physical thing
with me, after discovering that my hard palate is arched higher than most
people's (it always felt normal to *me*). I think I'd rather be unable due
to lack of practice than physical handicap...
~mark