Vindamal: Difference between revisions
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===Consonants=== | ===Consonants=== | ||
The consonant inventory of Vindamal reflects a balance between simplicity and contrast, combining elements reminiscent of early Germanic languages with a reduced and regularized system. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! !! Bilabial !! Labiodental !! Dental !! Alveolar !! Postalveolar !! Palatal !! Velar !! Glottal | |||
|- | |||
! Plosive | |||
| p, b || || || t, d || || || k, g || | |||
|- | |||
! Fricative | |||
| || f, v || θ, ð || s || š || || || h | |||
|- | |||
! Nasal | |||
| m || || || n || || || || | |||
|- | |||
! Rhotic | |||
| || || || r || || || || | |||
|- | |||
! Lateral | |||
| || || || l || || || || | |||
|- | |||
! Approximant | |||
| || || || || || j || || | |||
|} | |||
The consonant system is largely symmetrical and avoids complex contrasts, with no distinction between aspirated, ejective, or palatalized consonants. | |||
===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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! !! Front !! Central !! Back | ! !! Front !! Central !! Back | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Close | |||
| i/y || || u | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | ! Mid-Close | ||
| e || || o | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Mid | |||
| || ə || | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Open | |||
| || || ɑ | |||
|} | |} | ||
Vowels come in both long and short varieties. They are typically identical in quality, but the long vowels are held for approximately twice the length of its short counterpart. Long vowels may only occur in stressed syllables. | Vowels come in both long and short varieties. They are typically identical in quality, but the long vowels are held for approximately twice the length of its short counterpart. Long vowels may only occur in stressed syllables. | ||
The vowels /a/ and /e/, when short, may reduce to a schwa [ə] in unstressed syllables in common speech. | The vowels /a/ and /e/, when short, may reduce to a schwa [ə] in unstressed syllables in common speech. | ||
===Allophony=== | |||
Several predictable allophonic processes occur in Vindamal. | |||
* The sequence <hv> is realized as [hw] or [ʍ], particularly in word-initial position. This reflects a historical development similar to that found in early Germanic languages. | |||
* The letter <n> is realized as [ŋ] before the velar plosives <k> and <g> | |||
===Prosody=== | ===Prosody=== | ||
====Stress==== | ====Stress==== | ||
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<!-- Explain the consonant clusters and vowel clusters that are permissible for use in the language. For example, "st" is an allowed consonant cluster in English while onset "ng" isn't. --> | <!-- Explain the consonant clusters and vowel clusters that are permissible for use in the language. For example, "st" is an allowed consonant cluster in English while onset "ng" isn't. --> | ||
===Morphophonology=== | ===Morphophonology=== | ||
==Morphology== | ==Morphology== | ||
<!-- How do the words in your language look? How do you derive words from others? Do you have cases? Are verbs inflected? Do nouns differ from adjectives? Do adjectives differ from verbs? Etc. --> | <!-- How do the words in your language look? How do you derive words from others? Do you have cases? Are verbs inflected? Do nouns differ from adjectives? Do adjectives differ from verbs? Etc. --> | ||