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.


Yakvala (Often called Common Venerian in English) is the predominant lingua franca spoken on Venus (Ln: Trinla). It originated from the environs of the mercantile city of Suliriyaq on the continent of Yekhadramit.
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 overt phonological inspirations I began with were from English, Inuktitut and Quenya to varying degreees. Somehow I ended up somewhere quite different. Not sure which terrestrial natural language Yakvala resembles but Google Translate often detects it as one of the languages of India. The morphological inspirations are very likely to be Inuktitut, various Salish languages and the Uralic languages.
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.


<!-- Example categories/headings:  
<!-- Example categories/headings:  
Line 65: Line 65:
| Native Script|| Practical Orthography||IPA Value
| Native Script|| Practical Orthography||IPA Value
|-
|-
|⟨o⟩ || ⟨p⟩|| /p/
|⟨o⟩|| ⟨p⟩|| /p/
|-
|-
|⟨c⟩||⟨ph⟩||/f/
|⟨ɵ⟩|| ⟨m⟩|| /m/
|-
|⟨ɔ⟩|| ⟨m⟩|| /m/
|-
|-
|⟨s⟩||⟨v⟩||/ʋ/
|⟨s⟩||⟨v⟩||/ʋ/
Line 75: Line 73:
|⟨v⟩|| ⟨t⟩|| /t/
|⟨v⟩|| ⟨t⟩|| /t/
|-
|-
|⟨ʌ⟩|| ⟨th⟩|| /θ/
|⟨ʌ⟩|| ⟨n⟩|||/n/
|-
|-
|⟨w⟩|| ⟨s⟩|||/s/
|⟨x⟩||⟨h⟩||/h/
|-
|-
|⟨ʍ⟩||⟨n⟩||/n/
|⟨z⟩||⟨r⟩||/ɹ/
|-
|-
|⟨z⟩ || ⟨l⟩|| /l/
|⟨w⟩ || ⟨s⟩|| /ɬ/
|-
|-
|⟨x⟩|| ⟨r⟩|| /ɹ/
|⟨ʍ⟩|| ⟨l⟩|| /l/
|-
|-
|⟨n⟩||⟨k⟩||/k/
|⟨n⟩||⟨k⟩||/k/
|-
|-
|⟨u⟩||⟨kh⟩||/x/
|⟨u⟩||⟨q⟩||/ŋ/
|-
|⟨m⟩||⟨q⟩||/ŋ/
|-
|-
|⟨ɯ⟩||⟨j⟩||/j/
|⟨ʜ⟩||⟨j⟩||/j/
|-
|-
|⟨h⟩||⟨i⟩||/i/
|⟨ʎ⟩||⟨i⟩||/i/
|-
|-
|⟨hh⟩||⟨ī⟩||//
|⟨y⟩||⟨e⟩||/ɛ/
|-
|-
|⟨ɥ⟩||⟨e⟩||/ɛ/
|⟨h⟩||⟨y⟩||/ə/
|-
|-
|⟨ɥɥ⟩||⟨ē⟩||//
|⟨ɥ⟩||⟨a⟩||/ä/
|-
|-
|⟨b⟩||⟨u⟩||/u/
|⟨b⟩||⟨u⟩||/u/
|-
|-
|⟨bb⟩||⟨ū⟩||/oʊ/
|⟨q⟩||⟨o⟩||/ɔ/
|-
|⟨q⟩||⟨a⟩||/ɑ/
|-
|⟨qq⟩||⟨ā⟩||/ɑʊ/
|}
|}


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 one the first terrestrial linguists to reach Venus. The Wilkins Orthography has since become the default scheme of romanisation for Yakvala.
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.
3. The spelling of the practical and native orthographies are morphophonemic in that the spelling is phonemic but does change to reflect morphophonemic changes.
Line 132: Line 124:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|  || Labial|| Central Coronal|| Lateral Coronal ||Dorsal
|  || Labial|| Central Coronal|| Lateral Coronal ||Dorsal||Glottal
|-
|-
|Plosive || /p/ || /t/|| || /k/
|Plosive || /p/ || /t/|| || /k/||
|-
|-
|Sibilant ||  || /s/|||||
|Fricative||  || ||/ɬ/||||/h/
|-
|-
|Spirant||/f/||/θ/||||/x/
| Nasal || /m/|| /n/|||| /ŋ/||
|-
|-
| Nasal || /m/|| /n/|||| /ŋ/ 
|Liquid||||/ɹ/||/l/||||
|-
|-
|Liquid||||/ɹ/||/l/||
| Semivowel ||  /ʋ/||  |||| /j/ ||
|-
| Semivowel ||  /ʋ/||  |||| /j/ 
|}
|}


Line 151: Line 141:
1. All coronals are alveolar except /ɹ/ which is postalveolar.
1. All coronals are alveolar except /ɹ/ which is postalveolar.


2. Yakvala has 14 consonants which, according to the World Atlas of Language Structures, is a small inventory. The most notable features, according to WALs, are an initial velar nasal and the presence of 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.


====Vowels====
====Vowels====
Line 159: Line 149:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
| || Front Short|| Front Long||Short Back||Long Back
| || Front||Central|| Back
|-
|-
| High || /i/||/|| /u/||/oʊ/
| High || /i/||/ə/ ||/u/
|-
|-
| Low|| /ɛ/||/aɪ/|| /ɑ/||/ɑʊ/
| Low||/ɛ/ || /a/||/ɔ/
|}
|}


Notes:
Note:


1. The long vowels are phonetically diphthongs but are phonologically long vowels.
For the purposes of vowel harmony, /ə/ counts as a high vowel and /ɛ, ɔ/ count as low vowels.


2. Yakvala
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.
has 4 vowel qualities which, according to WALS, is a small inventory. The consonant-vowel ratio is 3.5 which is an average ratio.


===Allophony===
===Allophony===


1. /s/ is realised as [z] when in coda position before /b, d, ɡ/.
1. /p, t, k/ are realised as [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] when in the onset of a stressed syllable.


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


3. /ɹ/ is realised as [ʒ] when in coda position before /b, d, ɡ/.
3. /h/ is realised as [x] when in coda position.


4. /ʋ/ is realised as [w] when the second segment of a syllable onset cluster.
4. /ɹ/ is realised as [ʃ] when in coda position before /p, t, k/.


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


6. /i, u/ are realised as [ɪ, ʊ] in closed syllables.
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===
===Phonotactics===
1. Syllable template: C(C)V(C).
1. Syllable template:
 
C(C)V(C)
 
Notes:
 
C = consonant, V = vowel


2. Permitted syllable codas:
2. Permitted syllable codas: all consonants


/p, t, k, s, m, n, ŋ, l, ɹ/.
3. /ɬ, h, l, ɹ, ʋ, j/ do not occur morpheme-finally.


3. /s, l, ɹ/ do not occur morpheme-finally.
4. If a particle has a word-final consonant then that consonant will be one of /m, n, ŋ/.


4. Permitted Consonant Clusters:
5. Permitted Consonant Clusters:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|  ||P||T||K |||| D ||G|| S ||PH||TH||KH||M || N || Q||L||R||V ||Y
|  ||P||T||K ||S||H||M || N || Q||L||R||V ||J
|-
|P||-||-||-||-||-||-||ps||-||-||-||-||-||-||pl*||pr*||pv*||py*
|-
| T || - || - || - ||-|| - ||-||ts ||-||-|| -||-||-||-||tl*|| tr*||tv*|| ty*
|-
| K || - || - || -|| - || -||-||ks ||-||-||-||-||-||- ||kl*|| kr*||kv*|| ky*
|-
|-
| B || -|| - || - || -||-||-|| -||-||-||-||-||-|| -||bl*|| br*|| br*||by*
|P||pp||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||pv*||pj*
|-
|-
| D|| - || - || - || -||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|| -|| dl*|| dr*|| dv*||dy*
| T || - || tt || -||-||-||-||-||-||-|| -||tv*|| tj*
|-
|-
|G||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||gl*||gr*||gv*||gy*
| K || - || -|| kk|| -|| -||-||-||-||-|| -||kv*|| kj*
|-
|-
| S || sp||st|| sk|| sb|| sd|| sg||-||-||-|| -|| -|| -||-||sl* || sr* || -||-
| S || sp||st|| sk||ss|| -|| -||-||-||-||-|| sv|| sj
|-
|-
|PH||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||phl*||phr*||-||-
|H||hp||ht||hk||-||hh||-||-||-||-||-||hv||hj
|-
|-
|TH||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||thl*||thr*||-||-
| M || mp|| -|| -|| -||-||mm|| -||-|| - || -||mv||-
|-
|-
|KH||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||khl*||khr*||-||-
| N|| - || nt|| -|| ns||nh|| -||nn|| -||-|| -||-||-
|-
|-
| M || mp|| -|| -|| mb || -|| -|| - ||mph||-|| - || -||-||-||-||-||mv*||-
|Q||-||-||qk||-||-||-||-||qq||-||-||-||qj
|-
|-
| N|| || nt|| -|| -|| nd|| -||ns|| -|| nth|| -||-||-|| -||nl|| nr||-||-
|L||lp||lt||lk||-||-||-||-||-||ll||-||lv||lj
|-
|-
|Q||-||-||qk||-||-||qg||-||-||-||qkh||||-||-||-||-||-||qy*
|R||rp||rt||rk||-||-||-||-||-||-||rr||rv||rj
|-
|-
|L||lp||lt||lk||lb||ld||lg||-||-||-||'-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-
|V||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||vv||-
|-
|-
|R||rp||rt||rk||rb||rd||rg||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-
|J||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||jj
|}
|}


Line 241: Line 248:
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.


d. * indicates a syllable onset cluster. All other clusters occur across syllable boundaries.
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.
6. No consonant cluster may have more than two segments.


7. Consonant clusters do not occur within the syllable coda.
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


8. Consecutive vowel sequences do not occur.
CCV


9. Long vowels only occur before an onset of /p, t, k, b, d, g, s, f, θ̠, x, m, n, ŋ, l, ɹ/.
CVC


10. Long vowels do not occur in closed syllables.
CCVC


11. Long vowels do not occur in morpheme-final position.
CVCV


12. /i, eɪ/ may not occur after onset of /j/.
b. Some Numeral Roots And All Nominal And Verbal Roots:


13. /u, oʊ/ may not occur after onset /ʋ/.
CCVCV


14. Long vowels may not occur before a semivowel onset.
CVCCV


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


16. Roots, particles and prefixes must begin with a single consonant or a syllable onset cluster.
13. Particles may have one the following phonotactic shapes:


17. Suffixes may begin with a single consonant, a syllable onset cluster, a syllable boundary cluster or a vowel.
CV
 
CVC
 
CVCV
 
CVCCV
 
CVCVC
 
14. Suffixes may have one of following phonotactic shapes:
 
-CV
 
-CCV
 
-CVC
 
-CCVC
 
-CCVCV
 
-CVCCV
 
-CVCVC


===Prosody===
===Prosody===
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3. Rhythm type is trochaic.
3. Rhythm type is trochaic.
4. Jakvalat is spoken with a somewhat slower cadence than English is.


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|  ||  P||T ||  K||B||D||G|| S||PH|| TH|| KH|| M||  N||Q || L|| R ||V||
|  ||  P||T ||  K||S||H||M||  N||Q || L|| R ||V|| J
|-
|-
|P||v̄p||v̄t||v̄k||v̄b||v̄d||v̄ɡ||ps||v̄ph||v̄th||v̄kh||mp||mp||mp||pl||pr||pv||py
|P||pp||tt||kk||sp||hp||mp||mp||mp||lp||rp||pv||pj
|-
|-
|T||v̄p||v̄t||v̄k||v̄b||v̄d||v̄g||ts||v̄ph||v̄th||v̄kh||nt||nt||nt||tl||tr||tv||ty
|T||pp||tt||kk||st||ht||nt||nt||nt||lt||rt||tv||tj
|-
|-
|K||v̄p||v̄t||v̄k||v̄b||v̄d||v̄g||ks||v̄ph||v̄th||v̄kh||qk||qk||qk||kl||kr||kv||ky
|K||pp||tt||kk||sk||hk||qk||qk||qk||lk||rk||kv||kj
|-
|-
| M || mp||nt|| qk||mb||nd||qg|| ns||mph|| nth|| qkh||v̄m||v̄n||v̄q|| nl|| nr|| mv||qy
| M || mp||nt|| qk||ns||nh||mm||nn||qq|| ll|| rr|| mv||qj
|-
|-
| N ||mp|| nt|| qk||mb||nd||qg|| ns||mph||nth|| qkh|| v̄m|| v̄n|| v̄q|| nl|| nr||mv||qy
| N ||mp|| nt|| qk||ns||nh||mm|| nn|| qq|| ll|| rr||mv||qj
|-
|-
|Q||mp||nt||qk||mb||nd||qg||ns||mph||nth||qkh||v̄m||v̄n||v̄q||nl||nr||mv||qy
|Q||mp||nt||qk||ns||nh||mm||nn||qq||ll||rr||mv||qj
|}
|}


Line 303: Line 348:
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.
c. Second segment of cluster runs along top of table.


d. The notation v̄ indicates the preceding short vowel was lengthened.
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. If a three-segment consonant cluster results from affixation, then the first segment in that cluster is deleted and the two remaining consonants are treated as per the table above.
2. All vowels in a root or particles must belong to the same harmonic class.


3. If a vowel sequence results from affixation, then an epenthetic /ŋ/ is inserted.
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 324: Line 379:




Yakvala 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.
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==
==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