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(Vowel Allophony for Light Syllables) |
(Revised Phonology to get rid of ɘ and ɜ) |
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===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
Vowel frontness / backness is not phonemic. There are | Vowel frontness / backness is not phonemic. There are 3 phonemic oral monophthongs /a ə ɨ/, each with nasal counterparts /aⁿ əⁿ ɨⁿ/. These are 4 oral diphthongs /aɨ əɨ ɨa ɨə/, and 2 nasal diphthongs /aɨⁿ əɨⁿ/. | ||
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====Stress==== | ====Stress==== | ||
In each word, one syllable has stress. Stress can occur on any syllable, indeed the location is phonemic. There are many minimal pairs that contrast only in the location of the stress e.g. /ˈqɨ̰ɫɨ/ - "big" vs. /qɨˈɫɨ̰/ - "evidence", / | In each word, one syllable has stress. Stress can occur on any syllable, indeed the location is phonemic. There are many minimal pairs that contrast only in the location of the stress e.g. /ˈqɨ̰ɫɨ/ - "big" vs. /qɨˈɫɨ̰/ - "evidence", /ˈkə̰tə/ - "short" vs. /kəˈtə̰/ - "concept". | ||
====Gemination==== | ====Gemination==== | ||
If a stressed vowel is followed by a consonant, then sometimes the consonant is doubled. This is phonemic, and there are minimal pairs distinguished by the presence of gemination e.g. / | If a stressed vowel is followed by a consonant, then sometimes the consonant is doubled. This is phonemic, and there are minimal pairs distinguished by the presence of gemination e.g. /ˈbɨə̰kɨ/ - "bake" vs. /ˈbɨə̰kːɨ/ - "duty". Geminate consonants cannot occur after nasal vowels. | ||
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===Phonation Spreading=== | ===Phonation Spreading=== | ||
Both breathy and tense phonation tend to spread rightwards from the stressed syllable. Breathy voice spreads until it is blocked by a voiceless consonant. So in /ˈbaɨ̤ⁿdɨ/ - "liver", the breathy phonation spreads from the first (stressed) syllable, through the /d/ onto the final syllable. However, in words such as / | Both breathy and tense phonation tend to spread rightwards from the stressed syllable. Breathy voice spreads until it is blocked by a voiceless consonant. So in /ˈbaɨ̤ⁿdɨ/ - "liver", the breathy phonation spreads from the first (stressed) syllable, through the /d/ onto the final syllable. However, in words such as /ˈbɨə̰kɨ/ - "bake" and /ˈbɨə̰kːɨ/ - "duty", the voiceless /k/ blocks the spread of the breathy voice, no matter whether or not it is geminated. | ||
The rules for tense phonation are slightly more complex. Tense phonation spreads through nasals, approximants and lateral approximants, and also through voiceless stops. However, it is blocked by fricatives and voiced stops e.g. it spreads in both /ˈqɨ̰ɫɨ/ - "big" and / | The rules for tense phonation are slightly more complex. Tense phonation spreads through nasals, approximants and lateral approximants, and also through voiceless stops. However, it is blocked by fricatives and voiced stops e.g. it spreads in both /ˈqɨ̰ɫɨ/ - "big" and /ˈkə̰tə/ - "short", but not in /gʷɨˈkɨ̰da/ - "to swim" or /ˈkʷə̰sa/ - "to throw". | ||
===Vowel Allophony=== | ===Vowel Allophony=== | ||
Even though there is no phonemic contrast between front and back vowels, this does not mean that sounds such as [i], [u] and [e] are absent from the language. Front and back vowels occur as allophones of their corresponding central vowels. This allophony is depends on both the surrounding consonants, | Even though there is no phonemic contrast between front and back vowels, this does not mean that sounds such as [i], [u] and [e] are absent from the language. Front and back vowels occur as allophones of their corresponding central vowels. This allophony is depends on both the surrounding consonants. If a consonant begins a bimoraic syllable, then it only affects the first part of that syllable e.g. /ˈwɨ̤ⁿdɨ/ - "wind" is pronounced [ˈwʉɨ̤ⁿdɨ̤], with the /w/ only causing rounding of the first part of the following vowel (since it is nasal and hence bimoraic). /akʷɨəˈta̰/ - "to squeeze" is pronounced [akʷʉəˈta̰ː], with only the first element of the diphthong being rounded. | ||
Likewise, if a consonant follows a bimoraic syllable, then it only affects the last part of the vowel e.g. /ˈsɨqɨ/ - "to suck" is pronounced [ˈsɨɯ̰qɯ]. | |||
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=====Rounding without Retraction===== | =====Rounding without Retraction===== | ||
This occurs adjacent to labialised velar consonants, but does not apply to /a/ e.g. / | This occurs adjacent to labialised velar consonants, but does not apply to /a/ e.g. /akʷɨəˈta̰/ [akʷʉəˈta̰ː] - "to squeeze", /gʷɨˈkɨ̰da/ - [gʷʉˈkɨːda] - "to swim". | ||
=====Rounding with Retraction===== | =====Rounding with Retraction===== | ||
This applies to all short monophthongs in two cases. The first is adjacent to a labialised uvular consonant, or a labialised alveolar consonant e.g. /ˈtʷɨpːasɨ/ [ˈtʷupːasɨ] - "intestines", / | This applies to all short monophthongs in two cases. The first is adjacent to a labialised uvular consonant, or a labialised alveolar consonant e.g. /ˈtʷɨpːasɨ/ [ˈtʷupːasɨ] - "intestines", /ˈmɨ̤qːʷɨə/ [ˈmṳqːʷuə] - (a female given name). | ||
The second case occurs between a uvular consonant and a rounded velar consonant (which is quite rare) e.g. / | The second case occurs between a uvular consonant and a rounded velar consonant (which is quite rare) e.g. /sɨaˈgʷa̤qːə/ [sɨaˈgʷɒqːɤ] - "that meeting". Note that in addition to this sound change (in the second, stressed syllable), we can also see retraction without rounding in the final syllable. | ||
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