 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
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Traditional Chinese phonology divides the syllable into an Initial and Final. The, R; Y L2 s2 G& f
Initial is the way a syllable begins, usually with a consonant. The Final is the1 w: x4 g" n3 p2 r$ j% T
syllable minus the Initial. For example, in ta, chi, jin, chuang, the Finals are a, i, in," F, s; z. E1 [: m& s7 d' `0 o% {# K- x, g
and uang, respectively. The longest form of a Final consists of three parts: a medial. O7 x# w4 y$ s5 W \5 r7 F6 ~) R
(or: semivowel), a main vowel (or: head vowel), and an ending (or, in the case of% b0 x4 G' O$ x$ P
retroflex suffixes, sometimes two endings, as in the er-sound ming’er ‘tomorrow’).
D" V% o& h g# e3 LA Final in Mandarin comprises one of four medials: º (empty), /i/, /u/, or /iu/ (=
1 F( [5 f m/ ?6 X& j3 A; a[y], one of three vowels: /a/, /e/, or /o/, and one of six endings: º, -i, -u, -n, -N, and [”]' D) D, J6 E4 k' c( ?
(phonetically -r).13 Actually, there are only 40 different Finals (if Finals involving
5 m5 M/ @% l8 w; ]: p" h; sretroflex suffixes are not counted). As a result of these very severe restrictions on
/ R" J5 ~2 V Ipossible syllables in Mandarin, no obstruent clusters are possible in the onset0 a' C1 W# s0 @7 W- o' l. F1 S
(Initial) nor in the coda (Final). Onset clusters can maximally have a length of two' f. |; r) C) L5 f0 A/ m* g! {
segments, in which case the consonant closest to the vocalic nucleus must be a9 b+ f3 _8 g3 c$ L8 a. E
semivowel. Coda clusters are disallowed; in fact, syllables are generally open, i.e.
0 G9 c: v) }- h- c5 _end with a vowel. The only possible coda consonants are the nasals /n/ and /N/. In" u! ]% J: @* J- }
compound vowels with /a, e, o/ as the first segment and /i, u/ as the second element,5 [* f2 Q+ O8 |% W" ?! U
the latter are phonetically realised as semivowels, creating a diphthong. .. bla...bla... bla..* T- X% ~5 \' E( \6 ]
2 H! P) x- F0 r2 x& j4 _/ J(source: Wang Hongyan, year unkown, English as a lingua franca:Mutual intelligibility of Chinese, Dutch)0 Q$ x$ i$ ~% [! q2 R% H
and American speakers of English, |
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