Jakvalat: Difference between revisions

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The setting is a Venus with a thinner crust which enables convection of heat within the planet's core and, despite Venus' slower rotation, the subsequent generation of a magnetic field sufficient to prevent the loss of the planet's oceans.
The setting is a Venus with a thinner crust which enables convection of heat within the planet's core and, despite Venus' slower rotation, the subsequent generation of a magnetic field sufficient to prevent the loss of the planet's oceans.


Lanakwa (Often called Common Venerian in English) is the predominant lingua franca spoken on Venus (Ln: Lhinla). It originated from the environs of the mercantile city of Suliriyal on the continent of Yehadramit.
Jakvalat (Often called Common Venerian in English) is the predominant lingua franca spoken on Venus (Ja: Sinty). It originated from the environs of the mercantile city of Tulirijyq on the continent of Jekkarramet.


===Inspirations===
===Inspirations===


The main phonological inspirations were from Finnish and Greenlandic with some input from Tolkien's conlang, Quenya. The morphological inspirations will likely be primarily from the Inuit and the Uralic languages.


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===A. Orthography===
===Orthography===


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
| Native Alphabet|| Practical Orthography||IPA
| Native Script|| Practical Orthography||IPA Value
|-
|-
| ⟨o⟩ || ⟨p⟩|| /p/
|⟨o⟩|| ⟨p⟩|| /p/
|-
|-
| ⟨ɵ⟩ || ⟨ph⟩|| /f/
|⟨ɵ⟩|| ⟨m⟩|| /m/
|-
|-
| ⟨c⟩|| ⟨b⟩|| /b/
|⟨s⟩||⟨v⟩||/ʋ/
|-
|-
| ⟨ɔ⟩|| ⟨m⟩|| /m/
|⟨v⟩|| ⟨t⟩|| /t/
|-
|-
| ⟨s⟩ || ⟨w⟩|| /w/
|⟨ʌ⟩|| ⟨n⟩|||/n/
|-
|-
| ⟨v⟩ || ⟨t⟩|| /t/
|⟨x⟩||⟨h⟩||/h/
|-
|-
| ⟨ʌ⟩ || ⟨th⟩|| /θ/
|⟨z⟩||⟨r⟩||/ɹ/
|-
|-
| ⟨w⟩ || ⟨d⟩|| /d/
|⟨w⟩ || ⟨s⟩|| /ɬ/
|-
|-
| ⟨ʍ⟩ || ⟨n⟩|| /n/
|⟨ʍ⟩|| ⟨l⟩|| /l/
|-
|-
| ⟨x⟩ || ⟨s⟩|| /s/
|⟨n⟩||⟨k⟩||/k/
|-
|-
| ⟨ɴ⟩ || ⟨r⟩|| /ɹ/
|⟨u⟩||⟨q⟩||/ŋ/
|-
|-
| ⟨ɛ⟩ || ⟨x⟩|| /ɬ/
|⟨ʜ⟩||⟨j⟩||/j/
|-
|-
| ⟨ɜ⟩ || ⟨l⟩|| /l/
|⟨ʎ⟩||⟨i⟩||/i/
|-
|-
| ⟨n⟩ || ⟨k⟩|| /k/
|⟨y⟩||⟨e⟩||/ɛ/
|-
|-
| ⟨u⟩ || ⟨kh⟩|| /x/
|⟨h⟩||⟨y⟩||/ə/
|-
|-
| ⟨m⟩ || ⟨ɡ⟩|| /ɡ/
|⟨ɥ⟩||⟨a⟩||/ä/
|-
|-
| ⟨ɯ⟩ || ⟨q⟩|| /ŋ/
|⟨b⟩||⟨u⟩||/u/
|-
|-
| ⟨ʜ⟩ || ⟨y⟩|| /j/
|⟨q⟩||⟨o⟩||/ɔ/
|-
| ⟨z⟩ || ⟨h⟩|| /h/
|}
|}


NOTES:
NOTES:


1. The native alphabet was ultimately derived from an ancient featural abugida.
1. The native alphabet is ultimately derived from an ancient featural abugida.


2. The practical orthography was devised by the first terrestrial linguists to reach Venus. It has since become the default scheme of romanisation for Lanakwa.
2. The practical orthography was devised by one the first terrestrial linguists to reach Venus. The Wilkins Orthography has since become the default scheme of romanisation for Yakvalat.


3. The spelling of both the native alphabet and the practical orthography is morphophonemic in that the spelling is phonemic but does change to reflect morphophonemic changes.
3. The spelling of the practical and native orthographies are morphophonemic in that the spelling is phonemic but does change to reflect morphophonemic changes.


4. The following punctuation marks are in use in the native alphabet:
4. The following punctuation marks are in use in the native alphabet:
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5. Any given word is separated from any following word by a space.  There are no equivalents to parentheses, quotation marks, exclamation marks or questions  marks.
5. Any given word is separated from any following word by a space.  There are no equivalents to parentheses, quotation marks, exclamation marks or questions  marks.


===B. Phoneme Inventory===
===Phoneme Inventory===


==1. Consonants==
====Consonants====
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|  || Labial|| Central Coronal|| Lateral Coronal|| Dorsal||Glottal
|  || Labial|| Central Coronal|| Lateral Coronal ||Dorsal||Glottal
|-
|-
| Plosive ||  ||  ||  || ||
|Plosive || /p/ || /t/|| || /k/||
|-
|-
| -voiceless || /p/|| /t/|| || /k/||
|Fricative||  || ||/ɬ/||||/h/
|-
|-
| -voiced || /b/|| /d/||  || /ɡ/||
| Nasal || /m/|| /n/|||| /ŋ/||
|-
|-
| Fricative ||  ||  ||  || ||
|Liquid||||/ɹ/||/l/||||
|-
|-
| -sibilant ||  || /s/|| /ɬ/||||
| Semivowel ||  /ʋ/||  |||| /j/ ||
|-
| -spirant || /f/|| /θ/||  || /x/||
|-
| -aspirate ||  ||  ||  || ||/h/
|-
| Sonorant ||  ||  ||  || ||
|-
| -nasal || /m/|| /n/||  || /ŋ/||
|-
| -lateral ||  ||  || /l/||||
|-
| Approximant ||  /w/|| /ɹ/ || /j/ || ||
|}
|}


Notes:
Notes:


1. All coronals are alveolar except for /ɬ/ which is postalveolar.
1. All coronals are alveolar except /ɹ/ which is postalveolar.


2. Lanakwa has 19 consonants which, according to the World Atlas of Language Structures, is an average inventory. The most notable features, according to WALs, are the presence of a lateral obstruent, the initial velar nasal and a dental fricative.
2. Jakvalat has 12 consonants which, according to the World Atlas of Language Structures, is a small inventory. The most notable features, according to WALs, are the presence of an initial velar nasal and a lateral obstruent.


==2. Vowels==
====Vowels====




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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
| || Front|| Back
| || Front||Central|| Back
|-
|-
| High || /i/|| /u/
| High || /i/||/ə/ ||/u/
|-
|-
| Low|| /ɛ/|| /ɑ/
| Low||/ɛ/ || /a/||/ɔ/
|}
|}


Notes:
Note:
 
For the purposes of vowel harmony, /ə/ counts as a high vowel and /ɛ, ɔ/ count as low vowels.
 
Jakvalat has 6 vowel qualities which, according to WALS, is a small inventory. The consonant-vowel ratio is 2.0 which, according to WALS, is a moderately low ratio.
 
===Allophony===
 
1. /p, t, k/ are realised as [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] when in the onset of a stressed syllable.
 
2. /ɬ/ is realised as [θ̠] when in coda position.


1. /ɑ/ is the result of a merger between earlier /*o, *a/.
3. /h/ is realised as [x] when in coda position.


2. Lanakwa has 4 vowel qualities which, according to WALS, is a small inventory. The consonant-vowel ratio is 4.75 which is a moderately high ratio.
4. /ɹ/ is realised as [ʃ] when in coda position before /p, t, k/.


===C. Allophony===
5. /ɹ/ is realised as [ʒ] when in coda position elsewhere.


1. /p, t, k/ are realised as [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] when the only consonant in the onset of a stressed syllable.
6. /ʋ/ is realised as [w] when the second segment of a consonant cluster.


2. In intervocalic position and when the onset of an unstressed syllable, /b, d, ɡ/ are realised as [v, ð̠, ʒ].
7. /ʋ/ is realised as [v] elsewhere.


3. Coda /ɬ/ is realised as [ʃ].
8. The geminate clusters /pp, tt, kk/ are realised as [f, s, x].


4. The consonant clusters /mm, nn, ŋŋ, ll/ are realised as [bm, dn, ɡŋ, dl].
9. The geminate clusters /ɬɬ, hh/ are realised as [, kx].


5. /i, u/ are realised as [ɪ, ʊ] in closed syllables.
10. The geminate consonant clusters /mm, nn, ŋŋ/ are realised as [mb, nd, ŋɡ].


===D. Phonotactics===
11. The geminate consonant clusters /ll, ɹɹ/ are realised as [ld, ʒd].
1. Syllable template: C(C)V(C).


2. Permitted syllable codas:
12. The geminate consonant clusters /ʋʋ, jj/ are realised as [bw, ɡj].


/t, k, b, d, s, ɬ, θ, x, m, n, ŋ, l/.
13. /i/ is realised as [ɪ] when following a /j/ onset.


3. /s, ɬ, l/ do not occur as codas in word-final position.
14. /u/ is realised as [ʊ] when following /ʋ/ when it is the second segment of a consonant cluster.


4. /d, b, θ, x/ only occur as codas in word-final position.
15. /i, u/ are realised as [ɪ, ʊ] in closed syllables.


5. Permitted Syllable Onset Consonant Clusters:
===Phonotactics===
1. Syllable template:


{| class="wikitable"
C(C)V(C)
|-
|  || R || W || Y
|-
| T || tr|| tw|| ty
|-
| K || kr|| kw|| ky
|-
| B ||br|| bw|| by
|-
| D || dr|| dw|| dy
|-
| TH ||  thr|| thw|| thy
|-
| KH ||  khr|| khw|| khy
|}


Notes:
Notes:


a. The practical orthography is used here for clarity.
C = consonant, V = vowel
 
2. Permitted syllable codas: all consonants


b. First segment of cluster runs along left of table.
3. /ɬ, h, l, ɹ, ʋ, j/ do not occur morpheme-finally.


c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.
4. If a particle has a word-final consonant then that consonant will be one of /m, n, ŋ/.


6. Permitted Syllable Boundary Consonant Clusters:
5. Permitted Consonant Clusters:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|  || || || || || || || S|| || PH || TH|| KH|| M|| || || L|| R||W||Y
|  ||P||T||K ||S||H||M || N || Q||L||R||V ||J
|-
|P||pp||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||pv*||pj*
|-
| T || - || tt || -||-||-||-||-||-||-|| -||tv*|| tj*
|-
|-
| T || -|| -|| - ||- || -|| - || ts||tx||-|| - ||-|| - || -|| -||-||-||-||
| K || - || -|| kk|| -|| -||-||-||-||-|| -||kv*|| kj*
|-
|-
| K || -|| -|| || || - || -|| ks|| kx||- ||-  || - || - || - || - || - || -||-||
| S || sp||st|| sk||ss|| -|| -||-||-||-||-|| sv|| sj
|-
|-
| S || sp|| st|| sk|| -|| -|| -|| - || - || - || - || - || - || - || - || - || -||-||
|H||hp||ht||hk||-||hh||-||-||-||-||-||hv||hj
|-|
| X || xp|| xt|| xk|| || || || - || - || - || - || - || - || - || - || - || -||-||
|-
|-
|M||mp||-||-||mb||-||-||-||-||mph||-||-||mm||-||-||mw||-||-||
| M || mp|| -|| -|| -||-||mm|| -||-|| - || -||mv||-
|-
|-
|N||-||nt||-||-||nd||-||ns||nx||-||nth||-||-||nn||-||nl||nr||-||-
| N|| - || nt|| -|| ns||nh|| -||nn|| -||-|| -||-||-
|-
|-
|Q||-||-||qk||-||-||qg||-||-||-||-||qkh||-||-||qq||-||-||-||qy
|Q||-||-||qk||-||-||-||-||qq||-||-||-||qj
|-
|-
|L||lp||lt||lk||lb||ld||lg||ls||-||lph||lth||lkh||lm||ln||lq||ll||lr||lw||ly
|L||lp||lt||lk||-||-||-||-||-||ll||-||lv||lj
|-
|R||rp||rt||rk||-||-||-||-||-||-||rr||rv||rj
|-
|V||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||vv||-
|-
|J||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||jj
|}
|}


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c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.


7. No consonant cluster may have more than two segments.
d. An asterisk indicates a consonant cluster may occur root-initially or suffix-initially.


8. Consonant clusters do not occur within the syllable coda.
e. All other consonant clusters may only occur across a syllable boundary


9. Vowel sequences do not occur.
6. No consonant cluster may have more than two segments.


10. /i/ may not occur after onset /j/.
7. Consecutive vowel sequences do not occur.


11. /u/ may not occur after onset /w/.
8. Diphthongs do not occur.


12. Most native roots are disyllabic with monosyllabic roots being restricted to pronouns. Most particles are monosyllabic.
10. Most native roots are disyllabic with monosyllabic roots being restricted to pronouns. Most particles are monosyllabic.


===E. Prosody===
11. Roots may have one of the following phonotactic shapes:
 
a. Pronominal And Numeral Roots Only:
 
CV
 
CCV
 
CVC
 
CCVC
 
CVCV
 
b. Some Numeral Roots And All Nominal And Verbal Roots:
 
CCVCV
 
CVCCV
 
CVCVC
 
13. Particles may have one the following phonotactic shapes:
 
CV
 
CVC
 
CVCV
 
CVCCV
 
CVCVC
 
14. Suffixes may have one of following phonotactic shapes:
 
-CV
 
-CCV
 
-CVC
 
-CCVC
 
-CCVCV
 
-CVCCV
 
-CVCVC
 
===Prosody===


1. Primary stress falls on the first syllable of the root.
1. Primary stress falls on the first syllable of the root.
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3. Rhythm type is trochaic.
3. Rhythm type is trochaic.


===F. Morphophonology===
4. Jakvalat is spoken with a somewhat slower cadence than English is.
1. When two-segment consonant clusters result from affixation, they are treated as per the table below:
 
===Morphophonology===
1. When two-segment consonant clusters result from suffixation, they are treated as per the table below:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|  || || T || || B || D || G || S || X || PH|| TH|| KH|| H|| || || Q || || R || || Y
|  || P||T ||  K||S||H||M||  N||Q || L|| R ||V|| J
|-
|-
| T || ph|| th|| kh|| p|| || k|| ts|| tx|| ph|| th|| kh|| th|| nt
|P||pp||tt||kk||sp||hp||mp||mp||mp||lp||rp||pv||pj
||nt|| nt|| lt|| tr|| tw||ty
|-
|-
| K || ph|| th|| kh|| p|| || || ks|| kx|| ph|| th|| kh|| kh|| qk|| qk|| qk|| lk|| kr|| kw|| ky
|T||pp||tt||kk||st||ht||nt||nt||nt||lt||rt||tv||tj
|-
|-
| B|| ph || th || kh|| p|| t|| k|| s|| x|| ph|| th|| kh|| w|| mb|| mb|| mb|| lb|| br|| bw|| by
|K||pp||tt||kk||sk||hk||qk||qk||qk||lk||rk||kv||kj
|-
|-
| D || ph || th || kh || p|| || k|| ts|| tx|| ph|| th|| kh|| r || nd|| nd|| nd|| ld|| dr|| dw|| dy
| M || mp||nt|| qk||ns||nh||mm||nn||qq|| ll|| rr|| mv||qj
|-
|-
| TH || ph|| th|| kh|| || || || s|| x|| ph|| th|| kh|| nth|| nth||nth || nth|| lth|| thr|| thw|| thy
| N ||mp|| nt|| qk||ns||nh||mm|| nn|| qq|| ll|| rr||mv||qj
|-
|-
| KH|| ph|| th|| kh|| p || t|| k || s || x || ph|| th|| kh|| kh|| qkh|| qkh|| qkh|| lkh|| khr|| khw|| khy
|Q||mp||nt||qk||ns||nh||mm||nn||qq||ll||rr||mv||qj
|-
| M|| mp|| nt|| qk|| mb|| nd|| qg|| ns|| nx|| mph|| nth|| qkh|| w || mm|| nn|| qq|| nl|| nr|| mw|| qy
|-
| N || mp|| nt|| qk|| mb|| nd|| qg|| ns|| nx|| mph|| nth|| qkh||r|| mm|| nn|| qq|| nl|| nr|| mw|| qy
|-
| Q || mp|| nt|| qk|| mb|| nd|| qg|| ns|| nx|| mph|| nth|| qkh|| y|| mm|| nn|| qq|| nl|| nr|| mw|| qy
|}
|}


Line 311: Line 348:
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.


2. When a three-segment consonant clusters result from affixation, the first consonant in the cluster is deleted.
2. If a three-segment consonant cluster results from suffixation, then an epenthetic echo vowel is inserted after the first segment in the cluster.
 
===Vowel Harmony===
 
1. Vowels are divided into two harmonic classes for the purposes of vowel harmony:
 
a. High Vowels: /i, ə, u/.
 
b. Low Vowels: /ɛ, a, ɔ/.
 
2. All vowels in a root or particles must belong to the same harmonic class.
 
3. All suffixes have two allomorphs,one containing high vowels, the other containing the corresponding low vowels.
 
4. The vowels in a suffix must belong to the same harmonic class as the vowels in the preceding morpheme.


==Morphology==
==Morphology==
Line 328: Line 379:




Lanakwa morphemes fall into the following classes:
Yakvalat morphemes fall into the following classes:


1. Particles.
1. Particles:


These do not bear any inflection, have little semantic content and comprise such things as temporal or locative  adverbs, conjunctions, interjections and anything else that isn't a root.
These do not bear any inflection, have little semantic content and comprise such things as temporal or locative  adverbs, conjunctions, interjections and anything else that isn't a root.


2. Roots.
2. Roots:
 
These do bear inflection and contain much of the semantic content of an utterance. Roots are divided into nouns and verbs. Nouns are further divided into animate and inanimate categories, verbs into transitive and intransitive categories.
 
3. Stems:
 
These are any given sequence of root plus following suffixes.
 
4. Suffixes:


These do bear inflection and contain much of the semantic content of an utterance. Roots are divided into nouns and verbs. Verbs are further divided into transitive and intransitive categories.
These either comprise inflection or modify the semantic content of a root or stem.


==Syntax==
==Syntax==

Latest revision as of 21:36, 5 April 2022


Introduction

Goals

To create an aesthetically pleasing, yet easily pronounceable (for me, anyways), language for the setting of a habitable alternative Venus.

Setting

The setting is a Venus with a thinner crust which enables convection of heat within the planet's core and, despite Venus' slower rotation, the subsequent generation of a magnetic field sufficient to prevent the loss of the planet's oceans.

Jakvalat (Often called Common Venerian in English) is the predominant lingua franca spoken on Venus (Ja: Sinty). It originated from the environs of the mercantile city of Tulirijyq on the continent of Jekkarramet.

Inspirations

The main phonological inspirations were from Finnish and Greenlandic with some input from Tolkien's conlang, Quenya. The morphological inspirations will likely be primarily from the Inuit and the Uralic languages.


Phonology

Orthography

Native Script Practical Orthography IPA Value
⟨o⟩ ⟨p⟩ /p/
⟨ɵ⟩ ⟨m⟩ /m/
⟨s⟩ ⟨v⟩ /ʋ/
⟨v⟩ ⟨t⟩ /t/
⟨ʌ⟩ ⟨n⟩ /n/
⟨x⟩ ⟨h⟩ /h/
⟨z⟩ ⟨r⟩ /ɹ/
⟨w⟩ ⟨s⟩ /ɬ/
⟨ʍ⟩ ⟨l⟩ /l/
⟨n⟩ ⟨k⟩ /k/
⟨u⟩ ⟨q⟩ /ŋ/
⟨ʜ⟩ ⟨j⟩ /j/
⟨ʎ⟩ ⟨i⟩ /i/
⟨y⟩ ⟨e⟩ /ɛ/
⟨h⟩ ⟨y⟩ /ə/
⟨ɥ⟩ ⟨a⟩ /ä/
⟨b⟩ ⟨u⟩ /u/
⟨q⟩ ⟨o⟩ /ɔ/

NOTES:

1. The native alphabet is ultimately derived from an ancient featural abugida.

2. The practical orthography was devised by one the first terrestrial linguists to reach Venus. The Wilkins Orthography has since become the default scheme of romanisation for Yakvalat.

3. The spelling of the practical and native orthographies are morphophonemic in that the spelling is phonemic but does change to reflect morphophonemic changes.

4. The following punctuation marks are in use in the native alphabet:

⟨.⟩ = short pause, equivalent to a comma or semi-colon. ⟨:⟩ = long pause, equivalent to a colon or full stop.

Punctuation marks occur immediately after the last word of a clause and never occur consecutively.

5. Any given word is separated from any following word by a space. There are no equivalents to parentheses, quotation marks, exclamation marks or questions marks.

Phoneme Inventory

Consonants

Labial Central Coronal Lateral Coronal Dorsal Glottal
Plosive /p/  /t/  /k/
Fricative   /ɬ/ /h/
Nasal /m/ /n/ /ŋ/
Liquid /ɹ/ /l/
Semivowel  /ʋ/   /j/ 

Notes:

1. All coronals are alveolar except /ɹ/ which is postalveolar.

2. Jakvalat has 12 consonants which, according to the World Atlas of Language Structures, is a small inventory. The most notable features, according to WALs, are the presence of an initial velar nasal and a lateral obstruent.

Vowels

Front Central Back
High /i/ /ə/ /u/
Low /ɛ/  /a/ /ɔ/

Note:

For the purposes of vowel harmony, /ə/ counts as a high vowel and /ɛ, ɔ/ count as low vowels.

Jakvalat has 6 vowel qualities which, according to WALS, is a small inventory. The consonant-vowel ratio is 2.0 which, according to WALS, is a moderately low ratio.

Allophony

1. /p, t, k/ are realised as [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] when in the onset of a stressed syllable.

2. /ɬ/ is realised as [θ̠] when in coda position.

3. /h/ is realised as [x] when in coda position.

4. /ɹ/ is realised as [ʃ] when in coda position before /p, t, k/.

5. /ɹ/ is realised as [ʒ] when in coda position elsewhere.

6. /ʋ/ is realised as [w] when the second segment of a consonant cluster.

7. /ʋ/ is realised as [v] elsewhere.

8. The geminate clusters /pp, tt, kk/ are realised as [f, s, x].

9. The geminate clusters /ɬɬ, hh/ are realised as [tɬ, kx].

10. The geminate consonant clusters /mm, nn, ŋŋ/ are realised as [mb, nd, ŋɡ].

11. The geminate consonant clusters /ll, ɹɹ/ are realised as [ld, ʒd].

12. The geminate consonant clusters /ʋʋ, jj/ are realised as [bw, ɡj].

13. /i/ is realised as [ɪ] when following a /j/ onset.

14. /u/ is realised as [ʊ] when following /ʋ/ when it is the second segment of a consonant cluster.

15. /i, u/ are realised as [ɪ, ʊ] in closed syllables.

Phonotactics

1. Syllable template:

C(C)V(C)

Notes:

C = consonant, V = vowel

2. Permitted syllable codas: all consonants

3. /ɬ, h, l, ɹ, ʋ, j/ do not occur morpheme-finally.

4. If a particle has a word-final consonant then that consonant will be one of /m, n, ŋ/.

5. Permitted Consonant Clusters:

P T K S H Q L R J
P pp - - - - - - - - - pv* pj*
T tt  - - - - - - - - tv* tj*
K - kk - - - - - - - kv* kj*
S sp st sk ss - - - - - - sv sj
H hp ht hk - hh - - - - - hv hj
M mp - - - - mm - -  - mv -
N nt - ns nh - nn - - - - -
Q - - qk - - - - qq - - - qj
L lp lt lk - - - - - ll - lv lj
R rp rt rk - - - - - - rr rv rj
V - - - - - - - - - - vv -
J - - - - - - - - - - - jj

Notes:

a. The practical orthography is used here for clarity.

b. First segment of cluster runs along left of table.

c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.

d. An asterisk indicates a consonant cluster may occur root-initially or suffix-initially.

e. All other consonant clusters may only occur across a syllable boundary

6. No consonant cluster may have more than two segments.

7. Consecutive vowel sequences do not occur.

8. Diphthongs do not occur.

10. Most native roots are disyllabic with monosyllabic roots being restricted to pronouns. Most particles are monosyllabic.

11. Roots may have one of the following phonotactic shapes:

a. Pronominal And Numeral Roots Only:

CV

CCV

CVC

CCVC

CVCV

b. Some Numeral Roots And All Nominal And Verbal Roots:

CCVCV

CVCCV

CVCVC

13. Particles may have one the following phonotactic shapes:

CV

CVC

CVCV

CVCCV

CVCVC

14. Suffixes may have one of following phonotactic shapes:

-CV

-CCV

-CVC

-CCVC

-CCVCV

-CVCCV

-CVCVC

Prosody

1. Primary stress falls on the first syllable of the root.

2. Secondary stress is borne on every odd-numbered syllable after the primary stress.

3. Rhythm type is trochaic.

4. Jakvalat is spoken with a somewhat slower cadence than English is.

Morphophonology

1. When two-segment consonant clusters result from suffixation, they are treated as per the table below:

P  K S H M  N L V J
P pp tt kk sp hp mp mp mp lp rp pv pj
T pp tt kk st ht nt nt nt lt rt tv tj
K pp tt kk sk hk qk qk qk lk rk kv kj
M mp nt qk ns nh mm nn qq ll rr mv qj
N mp nt qk ns nh mm nn qq ll rr mv qj
Q mp nt qk ns nh mm nn qq ll rr mv qj

Notes:

a. The practical orthography is used here for clarity.

b. First segment of cluster runs along left of table.

c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.

2. If a three-segment consonant cluster results from suffixation, then an epenthetic echo vowel is inserted after the first segment in the cluster.

Vowel Harmony

1. Vowels are divided into two harmonic classes for the purposes of vowel harmony:

a. High Vowels: /i, ə, u/.

b. Low Vowels: /ɛ, a, ɔ/.

2. All vowels in a root or particles must belong to the same harmonic class.

3. All suffixes have two allomorphs,one containing high vowels, the other containing the corresponding low vowels.

4. The vowels in a suffix must belong to the same harmonic class as the vowels in the preceding morpheme.

Morphology

Yakvalat morphemes fall into the following classes:

1. Particles:

These do not bear any inflection, have little semantic content and comprise such things as temporal or locative adverbs, conjunctions, interjections and anything else that isn't a root.

2. Roots:

These do bear inflection and contain much of the semantic content of an utterance. Roots are divided into nouns and verbs. Nouns are further divided into animate and inanimate categories, verbs into transitive and intransitive categories.

3. Stems:

These are any given sequence of root plus following suffixes.

4. Suffixes:

These either comprise inflection or modify the semantic content of a root or stem.

Syntax

Constituent order

Noun phrase

Verb phrase

Sentence phrase

Dependent clauses

Example texts

Other resources