Apr29 – A Constructed Language

Apr29 Phonology and Orthography

Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Text>, [IPA], -Tags-, and "Glosses".

Letters and Sounds

The tables show the relevent phonetic symbols (in IPA) with the corresponding orthographic (romanization) symbols. The 22 letters used are:
a b d e f g h i k l m n o p r s t u w x y ' — c j q v z aren't used.
Digraphs are shown in the appropriate subsection.

In the following tables, an asterisk * indicates that the letter is used for more than one sound.

Vowel Qualities

There are 4 short vowels (7 phones), 5 long vowels, and 3 diphthongs. The diphthongs are: [ɔi] oi, [ai] ai, and [au] au. Any other vowel sequences are disyllabic.

Short Vowels
front central back

high i i - - -

high-lax ɪ - - -

high-mid - - - o o -

low-mid - ɛ e - - - ɔ -

low - a a* - ɑ a* -

Short Vowels
	front	central	back
high	i	i	-	-	-
high-lax	ɪ	-	-	-
high-mid	-	-	-	o	o	-
low-mid	-	ɛ	e	-	-	-	ɔ	-
low	-	a	a*	-	ɑ	a*	-

Long Vowels
front central back

high iː ii - - - uː uu

high-mid - eː ee - - - oː oo -

low - aː aa - -

Long Vowels
	front	central	back
high	iː	ii	-	-	-	uː	uu
high-mid	-	eː	ee	-	-	-	oː	oo	-
low	-	aː	aa	-	-

Consonant Qualities

There are 29 onset consonant phonemes using 29 phones and 12 coda consonant phonemes using 15 phones.

Onset Consonants
labial coronal dorsal guttural

nasal voiced m m - n n - ɲ ny - -

stop voiceless p p - t t - kʲ ky k k kʷ kw - ʔ '

voiced b b - d d - gʲ gy g g gʷ gw - -

affricate voiceless - t͡ɬ tl - t͡ʃ ty - -

voiced - - d͡ʒ dy - -

fricative voiceless - f f ɬ hl s s ʃ sy ç hy - χ x h h

rhotic voiceless - - r̥ hr - - -

voiced - - r r - - -

vocoid voiced - l l - j y - w w - -

Onset Consonants
	labial	coronal	dorsal	guttural
nasal	voiced	m	m	-	n	n	-	ɲ	ny	-	-
stop	voiceless	p	p	-	t	t	-	kʲ	ky	k	k	kʷ	kw	-	ʔ	'
voiced	b	b	-	d	d	-	gʲ	gy	g	g	gʷ	gw	-	-
affricate	voiceless	-	t͡ɬ	tl	-	t͡ʃ	ty	-	-
voiced	-	-	d͡ʒ	dy	-	-
fricative	voiceless	-	f	f	ɬ	hl	s	s	ʃ	sy	ç	hy	-	χ	x	h	h
rhotic	voiceless	-	-	r̥	hr	-	-	-
voiced	-	-	r	r	-	-	-
vocoid	voiced	-	l	l	-	j	y	-	w	w	-	-

Coda Consonants
labial coronal dorsal guttural

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

stop ejective p' p - t' t - - k' k - ʔ '

affricate voiceless - - t͡ʃ ty - -

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

rhotic voiced - - r r - - -

vocoid voiced - l l - - -

Coda Consonants
	labial	coronal	dorsal	guttural
nasal	voiced	m	m	-	n	n*	-	ɲ	n*	ŋ	n*	-	-
stop	ejective	p'	p	-	t'	t	-	-	k'	k	-	ʔ	'
affricate	voiceless	-	-	t͡ʃ	ty	-	-
fricative	voiceless	-	f	f	-	s	s	ʃ	sy	-	χ	x	-
rhotic	voiced	-	-	r	r	-	-	-
vocoid	voiced	-	l	l	-	-	-

Phonotactics

Onsets

The onset is either a single consonant phoneme or a cluster.
The 15 onset clusters are: pl, bl, kl, gl, pr, br, kr, gr, tr, dr, xr, xl, py, by, and my.

Rhymes

The following rhyme types appear:

light: -V
heavy: -Vː, -VV, -VC
extraheavy: -VːC, -VVC, -VCC

A coda cluster may consist of l, r, or a (homorganic) nasal plus a stop or affricate.
An extraheavy simple coda must be an obstruent.
A coda nasal may assimilate to the following onset: the allophone [m] appears before p, m, the allophone [n] appears before t, ty, ', d, n, h, the allophone [ɲ] appears before ny, hy, y, and the allophone [ŋ] appears otherwise.

Vowel Allophones

The allophone of a short vowel depends on whether it's in a closed or open syllable and, if closed, whether it's followed by a nasal or liquid consonant, as shown in the following table:

Vowel Allophones
Closed Open

+ N + l/r Other

i iN ɪ i

e ɛN ɛ ɛ

a ɑN a ɑ

o oN ɔ o

Vowel Allophones
	Closed	Open
+ N	+ l/r	Other
i	iN	ɪ	i
e	ɛN	ɛ	ɛ
a	ɑN	a	ɑ
o	oN	ɔ	o

Prosody

The stress rules for words of 3 or more syllables are as follows:

if the ultima is extraheavy, stress it;
else if the penult isn't light, stress it;
else stress the antepenult.

The stress rules for words of 2 syllables are as follows:

if the ultima is extraheavy (-?-VXC), stress it;
else if the penult is extraheavy (-VXC-?), stress it;
else if the penult is heavy (-VX-?), stress it;
else if the ultima is heavy (-V-VX), stress it;
else (-V-V) stress the penult.

Words of 1 syllable are unstressed if light (-V) and stressed otherwise.

Morphophonology

Vowel Alternations

Long vowels and diphthongs in open syllables alternate with sequences of short vowels + consonants, the latter appearing before a vowel. The following table shows the possible alternations:

Vowel Alternations
Vː, VV ii ee ai oi au aa oo uu

VC iy ey ay oy ew aw ow iw

Vowel Alternations
Vː, VV	ii	ee	ai	oi	au	aa	oo	uu
VC	iy	ey	ay	oy	ew	aw	ow	iw

Consonant Alternations

Coda nasal letters alternate according to the following onset: m appears before p, b, and m, while n appears otherwise.

The consonants d/r, l, y, and w may combine with a preceding consonant to form a single consonant or onset cluster, as shown in the following table; combinations which remain coda + onset are not shown. Values following a slash appear between vowels while those preceding the slash don't.

Consonant Alternations
base m n p/b t/d k/g '/0 s x h d/r l

base + w m - p/b kw/gw kw/gw w x f f gw w

base + y my ny py/by ty/dy ky/gy y sy hy hy gy y

base + l - - pl/bl tl kl/gl l hl xl hl hl hl

base + d/r - - pr/br tr/dr kr/gr r hr xr hr hr -

Consonant Alternations
base	m	n	p/b	t/d	k/g	'/0	s	x	h	d/r	l
base + w	m	-	p/b	kw/gw	kw/gw	w	x	f	f	gw	w
base + y	my	ny	py/by	ty/dy	ky/gy	y	sy	hy	hy	gy	y
base + l	-	-	pl/bl	tl	kl/gl	l	hl	xl	hl	hl	hl
base + d/r	-	-	pr/br	tr/dr	kr/gr	r	hr	xr	hr	hr	-

page started: 2017.Apr.29 Sat
current date: 2017.May.05 Fri
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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