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About the phonetic value of the Middle Korean grapheme Δ
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2009
Extract
The problem concerning the phonetic value of the Middle Korean (MK) Grapheme Δ is one of the most troublesome in the study of Korean historical phonology. There are several hypotheses about the phonetic value of this grapheme, its phonemic status, and origin.
The most widespread and more or less generally accepted theory proposes that MK Δ was a voiced fricative [z] which appeared as the result of the lenition of phoneme /s/ in the intervocalic and post-sonorant positions, since Δ is found in these positions in the overwhelming majority of cases (Yi Kimun 1987, 30) and (Ramsey, 1978: 33). Thus, this point of view denies the phonemic status of Δ, representing it as an allophone of /s/.
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- Information
- Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 56 , Issue 2 , June 1993 , pp. 247 - 259
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- Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1993
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