 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The
# E+ Z5 G; G' ?. rInitial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the: p) p: W) c0 f$ G
syllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in,
% G: Z) e* U1 h4 r7 c+ }and uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial
, ~* H) |3 e, T" B, a A4 q(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of
: z7 C6 ~* ]5 d m$ u6 v) hretroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).
3 r- d) \3 d7 c* H! C+ bA Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=
2 R2 H, C( [$ q6 G$ y: p[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]; z% c/ }0 n0 f, G# q5 j2 D2 _
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving9 r- A" t7 d6 L* m" V
retroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on
3 [1 n& c2 Q6 H, l7 Spossible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset
2 z6 x, I0 r1 ~0 h# Z) S; K( U(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two" p+ {8 f0 L: ?/ F, G
segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a% x( D* Z, r5 w# C- k! ?8 _2 `
semivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.; U' s& `7 T, Y! f) b( W
end with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In
% T( P) J, o `% m D5 A; lcompound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,, v* M' W! }; W& ]% B& a
the latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla..7 m2 W# M- \ ?2 G: m/ h2 h
1 B# h& Z/ v- I
(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)
' C$ r4 d) y0 l5 P0 \- ]. Sand American speakers of English, |
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