 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The
: [) M2 `- G& |; G& PInitial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the7 Y$ [2 k( {5 z! _% S7 |5 w
syllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in,% L/ P# `( X6 j0 d& `/ f
and uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial
( _$ q- D6 n# _$ P. B$ q! o(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of
7 L; m) ]+ f; ]9 ^. Eretroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).
3 s; G) u. H& kA Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=
3 f+ i: {( E" p a9 w! k[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]& \6 s% j, l. }0 u% S5 E4 s
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving$ A# X: f G) X9 A; h8 ?
retroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on
1 u8 Z) n9 A4 Fpossible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset5 g% }( t0 T8 z( k
(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two, h" c: ]5 g5 b5 W
segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a- Y- O. r3 T2 W& o$ y7 C
semivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.
6 q2 z% y/ i1 o' x; l- Bend with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In" N8 s0 k+ S: w7 j( x3 V$ c) i
compound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,
, E- Y3 R+ H1 ]2 _( ^' ?9 Lthe latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla..
0 I: |+ @! e/ t
9 t) q+ \' E8 r7 h; i. C(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)/ Q: y/ Y& |+ U4 ?
and American speakers of English, |
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