Re: The Name of the U
Saul Epstein 
Mon, 12 Jan 1998 19:30:16 -0600

From: McReynolds <rmcrey*flash,net>
Date: Sunday, January 11, 1998 6:19 PM
 
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but do we not begin "A", "E", "I", and "O"
(and
> in fact all vowel-initial words) with a glottal stop in English? 
As in
> {'eeii}, {'ii}, {'aaii}, and {'oouu}?  For me, an unskilled
linguist, it
> is very difficult to begin with a vowel and not include a glottal
stop.
> I have to imagine an "h" before the vowels and concentrate a lot to
not
> get that catch in there.  Sort of like how "Hawaii" is really just
> beginning with an "a," but they don't pronounce a glottal stop in
> Hawaiian the way we do.
>
> This may not have relevance, but I just wanted to throw it out
there.

No, you're absolutely right. English has an aversion to having vowels
exposed to each other or to the beginnings of utterances. Speakers
insert glottal stops according to obligatory phonological rules to
prevent this exposure, so defying these rules requires a great deal
of concentration.

--
from Saul Epstein
liberty*uit,net
www,johnco,cc,ks,us/~sepstein
"Surak ow'phaaper thes'hi thes'tca'; thes'phaadjar thes'hi
suraketca'."
							-- K'dvarin Urswhl'at