Re: Translating the word "Klingon" into other languages?

["William H. Martin" <whm2m@virginia.edu>]

On Mon, 6 Dec 1999 21:40:15 EST J242110559@aol.com wrote:

> jatlh mark:
> >Hee... we're doing syllable-structure in my Phonology class these
> >days... Isn't it notable that "kl", "pl", "gl", "bl", "fl" are all allowed
> >as syllable-initials, but "tl", "dl", "thl" aren't?  There's a good
> >reason... related to the reason why "tw", "dw", "kw", "gw" are okay but
> >"pw" and "bw" aren't.  Think about it.
> 
> jIQub...'ach jIyajbe'. jIHvaD yIQIj.
> 
> - DujHoD

My guess about these things is that these are okay because the 
consonants in the cluster are based in different parts of the 
mouth, so the sound moves from one to the other, making it easy 
to distinguish the cluster from any normal consonant. Laymen's 
terms:

"kl" throat to teeth

"pl" lips to teeth

"gl" throat to teeth

"bl" lips to teeth

"fl" lips to teeth

These are forbidden because they all come from the same place:

"tl" just teeth

"dl" just teeth

"thl" just teeth

These are okay because again the sound moves:

"tw" teeth to lips

"dw" teeth to lips

"kw" throat to lips

"gw" throat to lips

These are forbidden because they don't move:

"pw" just lips (unless you are Elmer Fudd saying "Practice, 
practice, practice," proving that we can obviously say this 
sound combination easily, but convention doesn't allow it.

"bw" just lips (Right, bwana?)

So, did I get it right?

charghwI'