Re: Sukhotin's Algorithm

[Zandbergen@xxxxxxxxxxx (Rene Zandbergen)]

Mark Perakh wrote:

> If r serves as a vowel, which vowel does it represent? I believe there is always some real
> vowel implied which is pronounced very shortly and which may vary depending on the word while
> r itself has no definite vowel value.

Someone (not a linguist) once told me (not a linguist either) that
before (ape-)man could speak properly, the rolling 'r' was the first
vowel-like sound he could make. Ape-man words quoted were 'BRT'
(not sure if it meant brother or friend) and 'GRT' (city).

A famous piece of music is (in Czech): 'Petr a Vlk'. Russian has
'volk'. The 'r' and 'l' really are vowels.
Other words do allow introduction of extra vowels.
Seven and eight are 'sedm' and 'osm' in Czech. These are 
pronounced 'sedum' and 'osum'.

I will probably avoid going to Prague in summer, just so that
I won't be faced with the problem of having to ask for a
zmrzlina (ice cream).

> How would you transliterate ctvrt using English
> equivalents? If r were just a plain vowel, you would have to choose between a, e, i, u and o,
> replacing r in pronounciation. Is it ctvet, ctvit, ctvot or ctvut?

Closest would be cetvrt. 

> Czech experts, tell me please how it is pronounced. 

Or correct me wherever I'm wrong.

Cheers, Rene