OVS – A Constructed Language

OVS Phonology and Orthography

The Sounds

Vowels
Unrounded Rounded

Front Central Back

High i i j=: - - u u w=:

Mid - e E e: - o O o:

Low - - a 6 A\: -

Vowels
	Unrounded	Rounded
Front	Central	Back
High	i	i j=:	-	-	u	u w=:
Mid	-	e	E e:	-	o	O o:
Low	-	-	a	6 A\:	-

Consonants
Labial Coronal Dorsal Guttural

Stops V'less p p - t t - k k - -

Voiced b b d d g g

Nasals Voiced m m - n n ñ J ŋ N - -

Affricates V'less - c ts) - -

Voiced z dz)

Fricatives V'less - f f s s ç C - x X h h

Voiced - r z` - - -

Approximants - l l y j w w - -

Consonants
	Labial	Coronal	Dorsal	Guttural
Stops	V'less	p	p	-	t	t	-	k	k	-	-
Voiced	b	b	d	d	g	g
Nasals	Voiced	m	m	-	n	n	ñ	J	ŋ	N	-	-
Affricates	V'less	-	c	ts)	-	-
Voiced	z	dz)
Fricatives	V'less	-	f	f	s	s	ç	C	-	x	X	h	h
Voiced	-	r	z`	-	-	-
Approximants	-	l	l	y	j	w	w	-	-

Phonotactics

Each of the 5 vowels can be long or short, with allophones distributed as shown in the table. There are 4 diphthongs: eu [eu], ai [6i], au [6u], and oi [oi].

Each of the 21 consonants except y, w, and the voiced plosives can be geminate. They're as shown in the table with one exception: h represents [?] before y, w, b, d, g, or z, or when geminate. Coda consonants don't occur after diphthongs or long vowels and are limited to:

l [l],
m [m], n [n], ñ [J] and ŋ [N], which are each homorganic to the following consonant, and
s [s] and r [z`], which are distributed according to the MOA of the following consonant.

The onset clusters are as follows:

Consonants
Labial Dorsal

Stops V'less pl pl py pj kl kl kw kw)

Voiced bl bl by bj gl gl gw gw)

Consonants
	Labial	Dorsal
Stops	V'less	pl	pl	py	pj	kl	kl	kw	kw)
Voiced	bl	bl	by	bj	gl	gl	gw	gw)

Prosody

OVS is a tone language, with each vocalic mora having either high (H, [ "<]) or low (L [ %>]) tone, the former being marked with an acute (´) and the latter unmarked. Tone harmony is present, based on the tone or tones of the root syllable. The rules for suffixes are:

If the last 2 tones of the stem are the same, the suffix gets the other tone.
If the last 2 tones of the stem are not same, the suffix gets the same tone as the last.
If the stem has only one tone, the suffix gets the opposite.

The rule for prefixes is:

If the first 2 tones of the stem are the same, the prefix gets the other tone; otherwise, it duplicates the first tone.

Additional Phonology

When two identical short vowels are immediately adjacent in an open syllable, they form a long vowel. When two different short vowels are immediately adjacent in an open syllable, they form a diphthong. The diphthong ei then becomes ee and the diphthong ou then becomes oo, so that any remaining occurrences of ei or ou must be disyllabic.

page started: 2010.Jun.22 Tue
current date: 2010.Jun.27 Sun
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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