There are 3 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Tone question
From: Erika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2. Re: NATLANG: Chinese for "chestnuts"
From: Erika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3. Re: NATLANG: Chinese for "chestnuts"
From: "Mark J. Reed" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 10:51:28 -0800
From: Erika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Tone question
Mark --
Those are really interesting questions. I'm learning
Mandarin currently and their phrases don't use tone
for inflection or have an overall tonal arc like in
English. I can't answer your second question exactly,
but I would say they do realize the similarities
because tones can be confused and some words are
exactly the same, such as the word "lu" for deer and
road -- it has the same tone and can only be
distinguished with a measure word ("tiao" for road and
I'm blanking on the word for deer right now). I have
a native Mandarin speaking conversation partner, I
could ask her and see what she says.
-- Erika
--- "Mark J. Reed" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> As a tone-deaf 'Murkin, I have some questions on
> tone languages,
> especially Mandarin.
>
> First, is there still phrasal intonation, as we have
> in English,
> providing a sort of overall tone arc limiting the
> range within which
> the individual tones operate?
>
> Second, do linguistically-untrained/naive native
> speakers of toned
> languages recognize the relationship between
> differently-toned
> versions of the "same" vowel? That is, does a
> Mandarin speaker, even
> before encountering Pinyin spelling, automatically
> recognize that a1
> and a2 are variations on a common theme? Or do they
> hear them as
> utterly distinct and require that the relationship
> be pointed out,
> like that between /b/ and /p/ in English?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> --
> Mark J. Reed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 10:55:22 -0800
From: Erika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: NATLANG: Chinese for "chestnuts"
--- "Joseph B." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Some L1 English speakers use the word "chestnut" to
> refer to a little gem of
> wisdom. Does anyone here know what words are used
> in any of the dialects of
> Chinese?
> Thanks.
I've never even heard that in English..
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:23:59 -0500
From: "Mark J. Reed" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: NATLANG: Chinese for "chestnuts"
On 2/2/06, Erika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> --- "Joseph B." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Some L1 English speakers use the word "chestnut" to
> > refer to a little gem of
> > wisdom. Does anyone here know what words are used
> > in any of the dialects of
> > Chinese?
> > Thanks.
>
> I've never even heard that in English..
Agreed. I usually hear "nugget" of wisdom. A "chestnut" is, IME, a
term of derision for something old: an old joke, a proven-wrong rule
of thumb, etc., as in "Oh, that old chestnut."
--
Mark J. Reed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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