Hi Barbara,
If you are hijacking the thread, then I am your co-hijacker. Either way, I am delighted to be having this conversation, and since no one else seems to be wanting to provide feedback, there is plenty of real estate to hijack.
It is precisely the two "ch" sounds that you mentioned that I was thinking of when I mentioned the German fricatives. Sorry if my term was confusing -- my linguistics background is showing. Fricatives are speech sounds that are sort of "staticky." They are made by partially obstructing the flow of air in one's mouth. (If the flow is entirely obstructed, you get a stop, such as [b] or [t].) Examples in English are the sounds represented by the letters "s," "z," and the two sounds represented by "th." (The voiced version in "either" and its unvoiced counterpart in "ether.")
Joy,
Lynn
