Caio Rossi wrote :
<< Alan, I think you missed the point here: [y] is not a pure vowel, as well as [w], for no other reason than that of its being a SEMI-VOWEL.>>
You are probably mistaking [y] for [j].
BTW, [y] has also its semi-vowel counterpart. For example, in the French "tu", [y] is a vowel, but in the word "tuile", the "u" sign represents a semi-consonant that I cannot write here (maybe /Y/ ?).
<<BTW, as a Brazilian with Italian origins born and living in Sao Paulo, a city colonized mostly by Italians and whose native dwellers are now labeled by the rest of the country as having an italianated accent, I feel comfortable saying that the English and mostly the Chinese vowel system sound much more complex, intricate and subtle than a language spoken with pure plain sounds.>>
Sure! As a Frenchman, I feel as comfortable as you in saying so! ;-)
| Alain Zürcher, Paris, France | L'Atelier du Chanteur : | http://chanteur.net
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