[KS] Long and short vowels

[Mark Peterson]

H.H.  and all,

Greetings,

I've often puzzled on the Kim, kim difference.  I dont' think it is a  
matter of vowel length.  It's actually the position of the vowel [- 
i-] in the mouth.  I'm not a linguist (help!, Ross) but it seems that  
Kim, the name, is more frontal, whereas kim, seaweed, is back or  
middle.  I know there are interpretations that say Kim and kim are a  
matter of vowel length, but say Kim with a short vowel or with a long  
vowel and say kim with a long vowel and a short vowel and they are  
both in different places, and both can be either long or short -- not  
that such is found in the spoken language, but still, linguistically,  
possible.

Ross, step in and help out on this.  Or Young-key, Bob.


best,
Mark
,



On Sep 24, 2007, at 10:11 AM, H. H. Underwood wrote:

> Ri Hwasu said that vowel length is no longer a distinctive feature  
> in Korean.  I believe there are still exceptions; the one that came  
> to mind is "Kim" (the name) and "keem" (the seaweed), which seem to  
> be differentiated still by people well under 70.
>
> H.H.Underwood
>
>