tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 07 09:16:44 1999
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Re: Translating the word "Klingon" into other languages?
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Translating the word "Klingon" into other languages?
- Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 12:15:53 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
- Priority: NORMAL
On Mon, 6 Dec 1999 21:40:15 EST [email protected] 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'