Seggeynni: Difference between revisions
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Like Thangha', there are many consonants which contrast secondary articulations, which affect the quality of adjacent | Like Thangha', there are many consonants which contrast secondary articulations, which affect the quality of adjacent vowels. Additionally, Seggeynni is characterised by an underlying simple syllable structure at the phonemic level, however many speakers "drop" vowels, so that consonant clusters are heard in the spoekn language. For example, phonemically the name of the language is /ˈséʕkə̀jə̀nə̀jə̀/, but, except when speaking extremely carefully, most speakers pronounce it as [ˈséɠə̀iɲːì]. | ||
==Phonology== | ==Phonology== | ||
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===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
The vowel system is | The vowel system is quite similar to Thangha'. In stressed syllables, there are 6 or 7 vowel phonemes /iː/, /uː/, /e/, /o/ and /aː/ and /a/~/ə/. In stressed syllables, schwa is in complementary distribution with short [a]. [ə] occurs after a semivowel, and [a] elsewhere. As such they could be considered allophones. However, in terms of the phonology, this vowel patterns as schwa if the preceding consonant is a semivowel, and as /a/ otherwise. Therefore it will be written as two separate phonemes. | ||
As in Thangha', the length of the vowel is more important than the quality in contrasting /iː/ and /uː/ vs. /e/ and /o/. In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i], [e], [o] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/). | |||
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* /ʀ/ is only found in loanwords. Many speakers merge it into /ɽ/. | * /ʀ/ is only found in loanwords. Many speakers merge it into /ɽ/. | ||
* Labialised labial consonants /mʷ/, /bʷ/, /pʷ/ (and sometimes /fʷ/~/ɸ/) occur as separate | * Labialised labial consonants /mʷ/, /bʷ/, /pʷ/ (and sometimes /fʷ/~/ɸ/) occur as separate phonemes in a few dialects. But most dialects have merged these with the plain labials. | ||
* Some dialects merge /xʷ/ into /f/ (or /ɸ/ in one dialect that treats this as a distinct phoneme to /f/). | * Some dialects merge /xʷ/ into /f/ (or /ɸ/ in one dialect that treats this as a distinct phoneme to /f/). | ||