 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The$ K# w9 T, D$ ~& T
Initial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the$ i7 k" B1 D/ s3 \$ _$ ]9 ~- O$ N
syllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in,
+ S2 x/ L9 q9 j, I; b) Fand uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial
, P. P+ _0 |( w- Q& t3 z+ O(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of
6 ?" }$ q' q/ g8 j7 `7 _retroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).
% c" O* n9 r% ZA Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=
! N2 b' ?& ]2 l5 ?. q[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]" ~) ]/ O) F5 m1 }5 h% R& [
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving, d7 B8 {# J; |+ S/ o% F7 ]
retroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on
' N4 E& ]! v" {( G8 Ppossible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset
+ W8 T1 V4 b8 q( P( V: i(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two
4 d( b4 |, E4 s+ U; X) m* \segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a
& b" x# _0 h: m+ Z6 x7 {' K0 zsemivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.
6 @( G: P4 U( e$ j% f' Kend with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In( [( _: U: X6 r: P/ v2 W+ N
compound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,, G0 r9 l; y- G
the latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla..
' N$ e5 \( h" ~! _8 G# h) r' t3 Q1 G, ]3 T5 z0 R; H9 P* `8 X
(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)6 O7 V6 u4 |1 f& I
and American speakers of English, |
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