 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The
$ e/ W8 Z( R% s2 X8 t BInitial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the6 `& w, p4 K, t& }% e$ g9 w
syllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in,
" Z- I: v/ R# R1 H4 R; ]2 band uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial7 G3 Z/ |; y! z* `/ x; _
(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of
3 m4 m7 n4 e& G; ?' ]5 P/ b5 c% |retroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).
4 H2 w. Z! n! Y8 V: ~& ~A Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=' m; _& T+ f9 |, Q( Q% y4 X! R
[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]& U& V2 i9 k$ e0 m4 w2 ]9 r
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving$ U) ^( u6 R% c/ z1 k8 ?
retroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on
' B8 z! y3 |1 [2 \) D3 Kpossible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset1 c) U8 l8 F$ y
(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two: O3 K) T/ A2 K+ X
segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a# e7 q! `! j3 O
semivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.+ O- N5 }- l4 L a( R
end with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In
Q8 x: b; O9 R1 Acompound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,8 t6 a0 k% k; Y2 Z4 ~8 _4 G& R& e
the latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla..
3 t8 h) Q* B4 F' L) h6 A7 v4 V, ^ o% l7 r$ O8 G# j) \( d
(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)
! v1 g2 f3 R3 v- t; I2 b2 ?and American speakers of English, |
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