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Celabrian: Difference between revisions
→Vowel harmony
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In this article, the following notation is used to represent the harmonizing vowels in affixes: | In this article, the following notation is used to represent the harmonizing vowels in affixes: | ||
*'' | *''<u>a</u>'': simple harmonizing vowel (a/e) | ||
*'' | *''<u>ə</u>'': complex harmonizing vowel (ə/u/i/y) | ||
*'' | **Represents back allomorphs (ə/u) when contrasted with ''<u>i</u>'', and unrounded allomorphs (ə/i) when contrasted with ''<u>u</u>'' | ||
*''<u>i</u>'': front allomorphs of complex harmonizing vowel (i/y) | |||
*'' | *''<u>u</u>'': rounded allomorphs of complex harmonizing vowel (u/y) | ||
*'' | |||
Most prefixes and suffixes harmonize with the nearest vowel in the word they are attached to. Vowels within a word do not necessarily have to agree in frontness/backness. | Most prefixes and suffixes harmonize with the nearest vowel in the word they are attached to. Vowels within a word do not necessarily have to agree in frontness/backness. | ||
Some consonants only occur in certain environments. In native words, velar and post-velar consonants only occur adjacent to back vowels, and palatal consonants (other than ''j'') only occur adjacent to front vowels. There are some exceptions, such as ''-q'' in the ergative suffix ''- | Some consonants only occur in certain environments. In native words, velar and post-velar consonants only occur adjacent to back vowels, and palatal consonants (other than ''j'') only occur adjacent to front vowels. There are some exceptions, such as ''-q'' in the ergative suffix ''-<u>ə</u>q/q''. This rule does not apply to loanwords. | ||
====Assimilation==== | ====Assimilation==== | ||
When a prefix beginning in an obstruent attaches to a word ending in an obstruent, the initial consonant of the prefix assimilates to the final consonant of the root in voicing. If their places of articulation are close enough, there may be complete assimilation. Similarly, a final obstruent in a prefix assimilates to a following obstruent. A similar process takes place with the first component of compound words, but this is not indicated in writing. | When a prefix beginning in an obstruent attaches to a word ending in an obstruent, the initial consonant of the prefix assimilates to the final consonant of the root in voicing. If their places of articulation are close enough, there may be complete assimilation. Similarly, a final obstruent in a prefix assimilates to a following obstruent. A similar process takes place with the first component of compound words, but this is not indicated in writing. | ||