Jul05 – A Constructed Language

Jul05 Phonology and Orthography

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

Vowel Qualities

There are 5 vowel phonemes.

Vowel Qualities
front back

high i i - - - u u

mid - e e - o o -

low - - a a - -

Vowel Qualities
	front	back
high	i	i	-	-	-	u	u
mid	-	e	e	-	o	o	-
low	-	-	a	a	-	-

Consonant Qualities

There are approximately 22 consonant phonemes.

Consonant Qualities
labial coronal dorsal guttural

stop voiceless p pʰ p - t tʰ t - - k kʰ k - ʔ '

voiced b b - d d - - g g - -

affricate voiceless - t͡s c t͡ɕ č - -

voiced - d͡z z d͡ʑ ž - -

nasal voiced m m - n n* - ɲ ň ŋ n* - -

fricative voiceless - f f s s ɕ š - χ x -

voiced - - ʑ j - -

tap/flap voiced - ɾ r - - -

vocoid voiced w w - l - j y - -

Consonant Qualities
	labial	coronal	dorsal	guttural
stop	voiceless	p pʰ	p	-	t tʰ	t	-	-	k kʰ	k	-	ʔ	'
voiced	b	b	-	d	d	-	-	g	g	-	-
affricate	voiceless	-	t͡s	c	t͡ɕ	č	-	-
voiced	-	d͡z	z	d͡ʑ	ž	-	-
nasal	voiced	m	m	-	n	n*	-	ɲ	ň	ŋ	n*	-	-
fricative	voiceless	-	f	f	s	s	ɕ	š	-	χ	x	-
voiced	-	-	ʑ	j	-	-
tap/flap	voiced	-	ɾ	r	-	-	-
vocoid	voiced	w	w	-	l	-	j	y	-	-

Syllables and Prosody

Except for surface phonetics, syllables are (C)V(C). A sequence of two identical vowels in open syllables may form a phonetic long vowel, as in Žaani, or a phonetic diphthong.

Phonotactics

The allophone [ŋ] occurs before k or g while [n] occurs elsewhere.
The allophone [ɾ] occurs after a vowel while [l] occurs elsewhere.
The allophones [pʰ], [tʰ], and [kʰ] occur in coda position.
The 6 voiced obstruents are always followed by a vowel or a vocoid + vowel.
The glottal stop is always geminate [ʔ:] between vowels.

Vowel and Consonant Combinations

Two adjacent vowels combine into one (except when a glottal stop originally intervened), as shown in the following table:

Vowel Combinations
+ 0 + *i + *ɛ + *ɑ + *u

*i i i ya yo yu

*ɛ e e e a o

*ɑ a e a o o

*u u wi we wa u

Vowel Combinations
	+ 0	+ *i	+ *ɛ	+ *ɑ	+ *u
*i	i	i	ya	yo	yu
*ɛ	e	e	e	a	o
*ɑ	a	e	a	o	o
*u	u	wi	we	wa	u

The resulting y and w combine with the preceding consonant:

Consonant Combinations
C Cw Cy

p p py

b b by

m m my

t c č

d z ž

n n ň

s s š

r r j

k kw ky

g gw gy

' w y

Consonant Combinations
C	Cw	Cy
p	p	py
b	b	by
m	m	my
t	c	č
d	z	ž
n	n	ň
s	s	š
r	r	j
k	kw	ky
g	gw	gy
'	w	y

The consonants t and d are also mutated by a following i or u. The consonants s and n are also mutated by a following i.

Consonant Stem Changes

The stem-final consonants p and t become f before certain consonant-initial suffixes. Stem-final k becomes š after i or e and x after a or u before the same suffixes. Stem-final ' becomes 0 before a vowel-initial suffix, without the vowels combining.

Vowel Deletion

Non-final i and u are deleted under 2 circumstances:

when between a nasal and a homorganic stop, affricate, or nasal
when between 2 voiceless consonants

with the restriction that extraheavy syllables not be formed. Final i and u may similarly be deleted in speech but not in writing.

page started: 2013.Jul.09 Tue
current date: 2013.Jul.09 Tue
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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