Sceptrian: Difference between revisions
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==Phonology== | ==Phonology== | ||
Sceptrian | Sceptrian and its dialects feature 51 phonetic consonants, some of them with interesting lateral features. The language also has 25 phonetic vowels: twelve short, nine long and four diphthongs. Nasalization, rhotacization and breathy voice are used phonemically. | ||
===Consonants=== | ===Consonants=== | ||
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! rowspan="2" |Approximant | ! rowspan="2" |Approximant | ||
! | !Non-lateral | ||
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| '''l''' | | '''l''' [l] [l̥] | ||
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|'''a'''<br />[ä] | |'''a'''<br />[ä] | ||
| | |a<br />[ɑ] | ||
|} | |} | ||
All the nine main vowel sounds (bolded) have '''long''' versions as separate phonemes. | |||
Schwa '''''o''''' is used as an epenthetic vowel (anaptyxis). When it is used to break consonant clusters (not indicated in native script) it is the simple schwa /ə/: *dŧ → ''doth'' /dəθ/ (man). When stressed, it is vernacularly realized as [ɘ], and in western dialects more clearly as [ɤ]: *dŧs → ''dothos'' [dəˈθɘˑs] | Schwa '''''o''''' is used as an epenthetic vowel (anaptyxis). When it is used to break consonant clusters (not indicated in native script) it is the simple schwa /ə/: *dŧ → ''doth'' /dəθ/ (man). When stressed, it is vernacularly realized as [ɘ], and in western dialects more clearly as [ɤ]: *dŧs → ''dothos'' [dəˈθɘˑs] | ||
Vowel ''a'' is | Vowel ''a'' is [ɑ] after voiced consonants. Vowel ''æ'' is often more open [a], though, in Western dialects, it has merged with ''é''. | ||
====Diphthongs==== | ====Diphthongs==== | ||
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*Final liquids appear as syllabic consonants | *Final liquids appear as syllabic consonants | ||
*Approximants ''j'', ''w'' and plain voiced plosives never appear as coda (final) even though they may be written that way (no written schwa): ''nad'' /nä.də/ (stainy). Voiced fricatives may appear as coda. | *Approximants ''j'', ''w'' and plain voiced plosives never appear as coda (final) even though they may be written that way (no written schwa): ''nad'' /nä.də/ (stainy). Voiced fricatives may appear as coda. | ||
*In coda, plosives with lateral release, however, will reflect the voicing of the onset: ''gatl'' [gädˡl̩] (houses) vs. ''katl'' [kätˡl̩] (knobs) | *In coda, plosives with lateral release, however, will reflect the voicing of the onset: ''gatl'' [gädˡl̩] (houses) vs. ''katl'' [kätˡl̩] (knobs). Vernacularly, the lateral approximant weakens into a voiceless variant [l̥] when in contact with voiceless consonants: ''gatl'' [gätl̥]. | ||
Closed syllables, i.e. those ending in coda, are not as common word-medially as open syllables (ending in nucleus) are. When words are inflected, parts of codas tend to become onsets of the following syllable, if possible. Especially three-consonant clusters are rare word-medially and receive a schwa after a non-lateral stop: ''kamps'' /kämps/ (marsh) → '' | Closed syllables, i.e. those ending in coda, are not as common word-medially as open syllables (ending in nucleus) are. When words are inflected, parts of codas tend to become onsets of the following syllable, if possible. Especially three-consonant clusters are rare word-medially and receive a schwa after a non-lateral stop: ''kamps'' /kämps/ (marsh) → ''kampsku'' → ''kamposku'' /ˈkäm.pəs.ku/ (at marsh) | ||
*Voicing status must be the same for consonants touching at syllable boundaries and the voiced one reduces into voiceless: ''*katbas''→''katpas'' /kätˈpäs/ (fern) vs. ''oist baku'' /œi̯st<sup>(h)</sup> bä.ku/ (under a table) | *Voicing status must be the same for consonants touching at syllable boundaries and the voiced one reduces into voiceless: ''*katbas''→''katpas'' /kätˈpäs/ (fern) vs. ''oist baku'' /œi̯st<sup>(h)</sup> bä.ku/ (under a table) | ||
==Suprasegmentals== | ==Suprasegmentals== | ||
Primary '''stress''' in a word is most often on the second syllable, and when there are four or five syllables, secondary stress is placed onto the final syllable. When there are more syllables, stress is placed on even-numbered syllables. | Primary '''stress''' in a word is most often on the second syllable, and when there are four or five syllables, secondary stress is placed onto the final syllable. When there are more syllables, minor stress is placed on even-numbered syllables. | ||
*If the to-be-stressed syllable contains the schwa ''o'' /ə/ or a syllabic consonant, the preceding syllable is stressed in two-syllable words and the following in words with more than three syllables. | *If the to-be-stressed syllable contains the schwa ''o'' /ə/ or a syllabic consonant, the preceding syllable is stressed in two-syllable words and the following in words with more than three syllables. | ||
**In uninflected words, syllable with nuclear ''o'' is only stressed when it comes second and the preceding syllable has also ''o'' as nucleus. Then the stressed nucleus appears as [ɘ]. Contrast between stressed and non-stressed syllabic consonants may occur as voicing and devoicing respectively. | **In uninflected words, syllable with nuclear ''o'' is only stressed when it comes second and the preceding syllable has also ''o'' as nucleus. Then the stressed nucleus appears as [ɘ]. Contrast between stressed and non-stressed syllabic consonants may occur as voicing and devoicing respectively. | ||
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There are five ways of sound altering which may be used for grammatical purposes (mainly number, genitive case and imperfective aspect). In the native script the following are marked on the vowel. | There are five ways of sound altering which may be used for grammatical purposes (mainly number, genitive case and imperfective aspect). In the native script the following are marked on the vowel. | ||
*Lengthening: ''paata'' /pä:tä/ (separation), ''ée'' [ɛ:]~[ɛe̯], ''óo'' /ɔ:/ | *Lengthening: ''paata'' /pä:tä/ (separation), ''ée'' [ɛ:]~[ɛe̯], ''óo'' /ɔ:/ | ||
*Lateral (release): ''pló'' /pˡɔ/ (opposite to), ''tlaf'' /tˡäf/ (sprig) | *Lateral (release): ''pló'' /pˡɔ/ (opposite to), ''tlaf'' /tˡäf/ (sprig) | ||
**Western dialects keep the tongue on the alveolar ridge during vowel pronunciation so that the vowels have a distinct l-sound. Historically, this may have lead to the syllabic l. | **Western dialects keep the tongue on the alveolar ridge during vowel pronunciation so that the vowels have a distinct l-sound. Historically, this may have lead to the syllabic l. | ||