Phonemes
The underlying consonantal phonemes of A-L are close in most respects to those of Latin, the primary difference being that /w/ and /j/ are replaced in A-L by /v/ v and /dʒ/ j. The sounds /θ/ th and /x/ ch were borrowed from Greek; the latter became an invariable /k/ subsequent to the split of original /k/ c into /k/ and /s/.
| Phonemes of A-L | Labials | Interdentals | Alveolars | Palatals | Velars | Glottals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stops | voiceless | /p/ | /t/ | /k/ | |||
| voiced | /b/ | /d/ | /ɡ/ | ||||
| Affricate (voiced) | /dʒ/ | ||||||
| Fricatives | voiceless | /f/ | /θ/ | /s/ | /x/ | /h/ | |
| voiced | /v/ | /z/ | |||||
| Nasals (voiced) | /m/ | /n/ | |||||
| Approximants (voiced) | /r/ /l/ |
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Read more about this topic: Traditional English Pronunciation Of Latin, Consonants
Famous quotes containing the word phonemes:
“The mastery of one’s phonemes may be compared to the violinist’s mastery of fingering. The violin string lends itself to a continuous gradation of tones, but the musician learns the discrete intervals at which to stop the string in order to play the conventional notes. We sound our phonemes like poor violinists, approximating each time to a fancied norm, and we receive our neighbor’s renderings indulgently, mentally rectifying the more glaring inaccuracies.”
—W.V. Quine (b. 1908)