Keren

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Keren

Keren
Keren
Pronunciation[ˈkɛ.ren]
Created byBari
DateNovember 2023
Native toSand Island
Native speakers400 (2023)
Early form
Old Keren


Background

Keren in language for Kerens - people, that live on Sand Island - fictional island. Is based on amazonian proto-languages & have some proto-indo-european morphology.

Phonology

Keren has 24 phonemic consonants & 4 vowels.

Consonants

Labial Coronal Palatal Labio-Palatal Dorsal Labio-Dorsal
Nasals m n ɲ ŋ ŋʷ
Stops p t͡s t t͡ʃ k
Sibilant s z ʃ
Trills r ʀ ʀʷ
Fricative ɬ ç
Glides l j ɥ ɰ w

Notes:

  • /z/ is from Old Keren #'VsV & #ri. For these speakers, that has /z/ in palatal group (see below), only from #ri is in this group.
    • /l/ also is from Old Keren #'VɬV & #d. If #d occurs before #i, was paltalised to /ɥ/ after rounded vowels & to #d͡ʒ after non-rounded vowels & turned to modern /At͡ʃ˩/ (see consonant alternations)

Consonant groups

  • Labial: /p, m, ŋʷ, w, ɥ, ʀʷ, kʷ/
  • Palatal: /ɲ, t͡ʃ, ʃ, j, ç/ & for some archaic speakers - /ɥ, t͡s, z/
  • Neutral: /t, n, ŋ, r, ɬ, ʀ, ɰ, l, k, s, z, t͡s/

Vowels

Front Back
High i
Mid e o
Low a

Notes:

  • /e, o/ are [ɛ, ɔ] in open syllabes, [e, ɵ] after palatal consonant in unstressed syllabes, [e̞, o̞] in clossed syllabes & [ɛ, ʌ] in open unstressed syllabes (if previous consonant is not labialised or labial)
  • /a/ is [ɒ] after labialised or labial consonant, [æ] after palatal consonant & [ə] in unstressed closed syllabes
  • /i/ is [ɨ] in stressed syllabes
  • vowel lenght is phonemic
    • // can be [u̯o] in stressed position for some speakers

Syllabes

Keren syllabes occur as (C)(C)V(:)(C)(C²)T where (C²) is one of these three consonants /r, n, m/, that can be stressed independently as syllabic consonants. (T) is mid tone /˧/ (unmarked/default), low tone /˩/ or “question tone” - /˧˩˥/ (only in question particle). Some speakers can ad [ə̥] between onset-syllabes consonant cluster, at least in unstressed syllabes. Low-toned syllabes work as stressed syllabes.

Prosody

Stress is penultimate. Secondary stress is on first syllabe & occurs in word with at least five syllabes (for some archaic speakers, at least four).

Grammar

Syntax

Keren is SVO in positive clausules, VSO in negative clausules & SOV in question clausules.

Nouns

N-type nouns

K-type nouns

Consonant alternations

Lateral mutation

Palatal mutation

Labial mutation

Vocalic mutation