"Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote...
> On Dec 9, 6:49 pm, "John Atkinson" <johna...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> "Peter T. Daniels" <gramma...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote...
>> > On Dec 7, 10:39 am, Enron Hubbard <enron@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> >> "Peter T. Daniels" <gramma...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>> >> > This is a question for conlangers ("constructed language"
>> >> > hobbyists).
>>
>> >> Is that supposed to be derogatory?
>>
>> >> > If you wanted to know what the smallest and largest vowel and
>> >> > consonant inventories in known languages of the world are, you
>> >> > could
>> >> > enquire here.
>>
>> >> What are those, then?
>>
>> > Fewest vowels/consonants: Abaza, Abkhaz, Ubykh, Proto-Kabardian /
>> > Rotokas
>>
>> What about our old friend Piraha~? (8 consonants, 3 vowels)
>
> I think after our old friend Jacques Guy's demolishment of Everett's
> claims, _nothing_ he says about Piraha is reliable.
This phonological analysis is due to Heinrichs (1964), and was verified
by Sheldon (1974). Everett didn't get there till 1978. Everett (1982)
reproduced Heinrich's analysis, without referring to Heinrich's initial
account apparently. Later, he controversially reduced the number of
consonant phonemes to seven, claiming that /k/ can be regarded as
underlying /hi/.
Seven (?) consonants and three vowels would make P the world record
holder for least number of phonemes, I think. But P also has phonemic
tones (3 according to Heinrichs, 2 according to Everett), which Rotokas
doesn't. Also optional nasalisation of vowels following /h/ and /?/,
though AFAICT this isn't phonemic.
FWIW, the Heinrichs and Sheldons were also SIL missionaries, which may
or may not say anything about the standard of their scholar****p.
[...]
John.
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