Thean
In Angai, Thean /ˈθiːən/ is a family of analytic monosyllabic tonal languages in the Trans-Sarnathian family, spoken in Aem-Zmaə. Thean is head-initial and SVO.
Thean is an exonym derived from the Kuam pronunciation of the autonym.
Thean is natively written with logographs.
Phonology of Modern Standard Thean
Initials
| Labial | Inter- dental |
Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plain | sibilant | lateral | |||||||
| Stop (Tone unrestricted) | /p/ b | /tθ/ ddh | /t/ d | /ts/ dz | /tɬ/ dl | /ʈʂ/ dr | /tʃ/ j | /k/ g | /ʔ/ ʼ |
| Fricative (Only L and M class tones) | /f/ f | /θ/ th | /s/ s | /ʂ/ shr | /ʃ/ sh | /x/ x | /h/ h | ||
| Sonorant (Tone unrestricted) | /m/ m | /n/ n | /l/ l | /ɻ/ r | (/j/ y) | (/w/ w) | |||
Nuclei
Finals
-t -k -n -ng -dh -w -j -r /-t -k -n -ŋ -ð̠˕ -w -j -ɻ/ (null is allowed)
-ng is not as common as in the Sinosphere
Tone
9 in nonchecked syllables, 3 in checked ones