 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The
8 C% n3 w3 q2 |2 O* ~0 v1 D, h1 LInitial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the
; ? G% M: ]: c) t0 Fsyllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in,
{% I3 @; z( R, j6 T( ?: t# dand uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial
+ ]5 P% s( v4 \1 }$ o: V(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of8 y* P6 V4 r0 l! d! B
retroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).- y4 N% ^- b4 h& M4 Q
A Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=
( c9 [" k: h( S# D. \[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]; l- P& Y. m- n) {* S3 S0 G
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving h" [" X$ k, b
retroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on5 B1 |0 m, \0 X& y- Y% J5 V
possible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset
8 p/ N3 w" S( i2 E(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two+ v9 i) L6 N" D/ b& o3 g
segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a* _# W+ A/ [5 M# X6 T# C8 O
semivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.
% Q, U ^! F$ q3 A- iend with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In8 R, V/ Q8 X# b. V7 ?1 D
compound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,( Q. D+ X. h, D: J) [: o
the latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla../ E% P _# q" e3 q
* ], g6 D. S, A% P5 M(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)
3 t3 S2 b$ @$ _! z6 Eand American speakers of English, |
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