Breathanach

[John Cowan <cowan@locke.ccil.org>]

I am reviewing the new version of the Breathanach page
(http://www.cix.co.uk/~morven/breath.html).

I note that vowels in unstressed (non-initial) syllables are no
longer limited to orthographic A and E, both pronounced [@].
This contradicted the existing paradigms anyhow.

But I continue to think that reducing *all* unstressed vowels to
[@] is overkill.  Have a three-vowel system [@ I U] if you want,
but I can think of no Romance language that *totally* disposes of
a front-back distinction even outside stress.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)