Re: Why w and y are not vowels? [Was: Re: Latin vowels?]

From: Peter_Constable@sil.org
Date: Tue Sep 10 2002 - 03:35:55 EDT


On 09/09/2002 02:17:55 PM Barry Caplan wrote:

>"Mora" sounds like jargon for a more specialized situation, unless I am
missing
>something ...

No, "mora" is a technical term used in phonological analysis. Japanese is
a prime example of a language for which morae are key structural elements
in the phonology. There are phonology processes that require ad hoc
analyses if one attempts to describe them only in terms of segments and
syllables, but for which simpler and more elegant analyses are possible
once one adds the notion of mora. I first learned about mora from work
that James Macawley (well-known linguist who taught at U of Chicago for
many years, and who died a few years ago) published on Japanese. I forget
the date, but I think it was late 1960s.

- Peter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Constable

Non-Roman Script Initiative, SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75236, USA
Tel: +1 972 708 7485
E-mail: <peter_constable@sil.org>



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