new language Beta: Phonology

[qiihoskeh]

The pronunciation is approximate; not yet time for fine-tuning the sound. Last edited: 2006.Feb.06 Mon

Phonology and Orthography

Vowels

|i| [i]
|í| [i:]
|e| [E]     never stressed
|a| [a(:)]  long and/or stressed
|o| [@]     never stressed
|ó| [Q(:)]  stressed
|u| [u]
|ú| [u:]

|a| and |ó| are long in open syllables.

Diphthongs

|ei|, |ou|  never stressed
|ai|, |au|  stressed whenever possible

Vowel Alternations

Unstressed |e|, |o|, |ei|, and |ou| become |a|, |ó|, |ai|, and |au|, respectively, when they become stressed. Unstressed |i| and |u| in open syllables become |í| and |ú| when stressed. The presence or absence of |o| may vary according to the stress patterns and the adjacent consonants. Note that unstressed |í|, |ú|, |ai|, |au|, and |a| can occur.

Consonants

|p| [p]   |t| [t]   |c| [tS)]   |k| [k]
|b| [b]   |d| [d]   |j| [dZ)]   |g| [g]
|f| [f]   |s| [s]   |x| [S]     |h| [x], [h]
          |z| [z]  
|m| [m]   |n| [n], [N]
          |r| [r]
          |l| [l]   |y| [j]     |w| [w]

|n| is [N] before |k|, |g|, and |w|.

Some peculiarities: |sl| and |sr| are [K:] and [r_0] respectively; |tl| is [tK)], and |ry| is [Z].

Consonants not preceding vowels are moric with the following exceptions:
* stops before /l/ or /r/
* anything before /y/ or /w/
which form onsets.
Moric consonants act as codas after a vowel, but may occur word-initially.

Stress Rules

if ultima is extraheavy, stress it
else if penult is either extraheavy or heavy, stress it
else stress antepenult.

Light: Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko
Heavy: Kí, Kú, Ka, Kei, Kou, KVC
Extraheavy: Kó, KíC, KúC, KaC, KóC, Kai, Kau, KaiC, KauC

KíC and KúC can occur only as ultima.

Possible History

1. The *o's are inserted (and/or fail to be deleted) in order to avoid awkward consonant clusters.


2. Word form stress is determined according to composition rules.


3. Non-light penults attract stress.


4. Extraheavy ultimas attract stress.


5. Stressed short vowels in open syllables lengthen.


6. Vowel qualities shift.

Other Sound Changes

/pw/, /bw/, /hw/, and /mw/ become /kw/, /gw/, /hw/, and /nw/, respectively.
/ky/, /gy/, and /hy/ become /c/, /j/, and /x/, respectively. Also, /k/, /g/, and /h/ become /c/, /j/, and /x/ before /i/.