Apr21 – A Constructed Language

Apr21 Phonology and Orthography

The tables show the relevent phonetic symbols (in IPA) with the corresponding orthographic symbols.

Vowel Qualities

There are 6 vowel phonemes. There's also an unwritten schwa, inserted between certain consonant pairs for easier pronunciation. There are 2 diphthongs (ai [ai] and au [au]).

Vowel Qualities
unrounded rounded

front back

high i i - - u u

high-mid e e - - o o

low-mid - ɛ æ - -

low - - ɑ a -

Vowel Qualities
	unrounded	rounded
front	back
high	i	i	-	-	u	u
high-mid	e	e	-	-	o	o
low-mid	-	ɛ	æ	-	-
low	-	-	ɑ	a	-

Consonant Qualities

There are 20 consonant phonemes. In addition, the vowel letters i and u may act as the consonants [j] and [w], respectively, before dissimilar vowels.

Consonant Qualities
labial coronal dorsal guttural

stop voiceless p p - t t - k k - -

voiced b b - d d - g g - -

affricate voiceless - - - t͡ʃ c - - -

voiced - - - d͡ʒ j - - -

nasal voiced m m - n n* - ŋ n* - -

fricative voiceless - f f s s ʃ x - χ q -

voiced - v v z ʒ y - ʁ h -

lateral - - ɬ z - - - -

trill voiced - - r r - - - -

vocoid voiced - - l l - - - -

Consonant Qualities
	labial	coronal	dorsal	guttural
stop	voiceless	p	p	-	t	t	-	k	k	-	-
voiced	b	b	-	d	d	-	g	g	-	-
affricate	voiceless	-	-	-	t͡ʃ	c	-	-	-
voiced	-	-	-	d͡ʒ	j	-	-	-
nasal	voiced	m	m	-	n	n*	-	ŋ	n*	-	-
fricative	voiceless	-	f	f	s	s	ʃ	x	-	χ	q	-
voiced	-	v	v	z	ʒ	y	-	ʁ	h	-
lateral	-	-	ɬ	z	-	-	-	-
trill	voiced	-	-	r	r	-	-	-	-
vocoid	voiced	-	-	l	l	-	-	-	-

Syllables and Prosody

Syllables are (C)V, (C)VV, (C)VC, and (C)VCC.

Stress may be on the ultima, penult, or antepenult; this is determined by the historical syllable weight and must be marked by an acute in many cases. The diphthongs and e and u are always 2 moras; the other vowels are either 2 moras if originally long and 1 mora if originally short. Each coda consonant is 1 mora.

For words of 3 or more syllables:

If the ultima has 3 moras, it's stressed;
else if the penult has at least 2 moras, it's stressed;
else the antepenult is stressed.

For words of 2 syllables:

If the ultima has 3 moras, it's stressed;
else if the penult has at least 2 moras, it's stressed;
else if the ultima has 2 moras, it's stressed;
else the penult is stressed or the word is unstressed.

For words of 1 syllables:

If the ultima has 3 moras, it's stressed;
else if the ultima has 2 moras, it's stressed or the word is unstressed;
else the word is unstressed.

Phonotactics

There are no syllables of more than 3 moras.
The voiced plosives b, d, j, and g don't appear as onsets after voiceless obstruents (except s) or as coda consonants.
The voiced fricatives v, y, and h appear only between vowels.
The onset clusters are: pl, bl, fl kl, gl, ql, pi, bi, fi ku, gu, and qu.
The allophone [z] occurs before a voiced plosive.
The allophone [ŋ] occurs before k and g.

Vowel Origins

The following table shows the origin of the vowels (via long vowels) and diphthongs from combinations of vowels or vowel plus coda consonants.

Vowel Origins
+ 0 + *i/d͡ʒ + *ə/d + *a/g + *u/b

*i (i) i i e u

*ə (æ) e æ a o

*a (a) ai a a au

*u (o) i u o u

Vowel Origins
	+ 0	+ *i/d͡ʒ	+ *ə/d	+ *a/g	+ *u/b
*i	(i)	i	i	e	u
*ə	(æ)	e	æ	a	o
*a	(a)	ai	a	a	au
*u	(o)	i	u	o	u

Consonant Lenition

The initial consonant of a morpheme may undergo lenition when the preceding morpheme ends in a vowel.

Consonant Lenition
From: p t c k b d j g

To: b d j g v 0 y h

Consonant Lenition
From:	p	t	c	k	b	d	j	g
To:	b	d	j	g	v	0	y	h

page started: 2013.Apr.22 Mon
current date: 2013.Apr.27 Sat
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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