 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The
, P9 ` M1 k7 J/ A( fInitial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the) `4 G. ]8 i p9 q5 B
syllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in,
5 o9 j! d5 J( x+ z7 C* Xand uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial$ z& K* l/ w J" @ X; [) ~' E
(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of1 W( q; M1 s \
retroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).
' _+ y- k# N" m1 VA Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=, J1 Q2 Z$ f( p8 d" v$ X
[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]4 j: i G5 ?% N$ I
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving; z. M* V6 [5 y! `
retroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on% G* G3 S/ i) V
possible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset
, t- R' K* ?, t5 a/ G(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two' J' w, w8 M' p& l. Q. m: C' u
segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a% L5 E5 d& f8 n
semivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.
P1 f B2 [. z( B7 Cend with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In. S) E- Y* o5 ^
compound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,1 j/ ~7 ^- j5 d& w
the latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla..( N8 l' q/ U* j! J5 f
- d. T3 m! U& {0 {. Q4 t4 s" V% s7 p
(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)$ i- t; ?3 [) L* O& {6 `
and American speakers of English, |
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