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It originated from the area around Ross Island, one of the first large-scale colonies on Antarctica. The founders of the settlement were a mostly either Burmese, Australian or Taiwanese, and as such Kämpya is most heavily influenced by the languages of those countries (especially Burmese). However, a later wave of Spanish speaking migrants from South America also had a large impact on the language.
It originated from the area around Ross Island, one of the first large-scale colonies on Antarctica. The founders of the settlement were a mostly either Burmese, Australian or Taiwanese, and as such Kämpya is most heavily influenced by the languages of those countries (especially Burmese). However, a later wave of Spanish speaking migrants from South America also had a large impact on the language.


It has since spread to other parts of the continent, aided by the spread of a religion called Laikyâr (although far from all Kämpya speakers follow the Laikyâr religion).
It has since spread to other parts of the continent, aided by the spread of a religion called Laikyâr (although far from all Kämpya speakers follow the Laikyâr religion). Indeed there is a special register of the language that is only used in religious contexts. There are also a number of regional dialects. However, this page describes what could be termed the "standard" dialect.


==Brief Description==
==Brief Description==
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It is usually written using a script based on the Burmese alphabet.
It is usually written using a script based on the Burmese alphabet.
==Phonology==
===Vowels===
The vowel system is quite simple, with 5 monophthongs and 4 diphthongs.
====Monophthongs====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  !! Front !! Central !! Back
|-
| High || /i/ ||  || /u/
|-
| Mid || /e/ ||  || /o/
|-
| Low || || /a/ ||
|}
====Diphthongs====
The following diphthongs are found /ai/, /au/, /ei/ and /ou/.
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  !! Labial !! Dental !! Alveolar !! Lateral !! Palatal !! Velar !! Glottal
|-
| Stop || pʰ p b ||  || tʰ t d ||  ||  || kʰ k g ||
|-
| Nasal || m̥ m ||  || n̥ n ||  ||  || ŋ ||
|-
| Fricative ||  || θ ð || sʰ s z || ɬ ||  ||  || h
|-
| Semivowel || w ||  ||  ||  || j || ||
|-
| Other Sonorants || ⱱ~ʋ ||  || ɾ || l || || ||
|}
# /b/, /d/ and /g/ are often pronounced as slightly implosive.
# /ɬ/ corresponds to Burmese */l̥/, and English */sl/.
# [ⱱ] and [ʋ] are in free variation.
===Phonotactics===
In the standard dialect, only syllables of the form (C) (C) V (C) are permitted.
Initial consonant clusters can consist of any non-semivowel consonant followed by /w/ or /j/, except that /ŋj/ syllable onsets are forbidden.
In writing and formal speech, syllables can also begin with /pʰl/, /pl/, /bl/, /kʰl/, /kl/ and /gl/ (i.e. any non-alveolar stop + /l/). But outside formal speech, the /l/ is usually replaced with /j/.
In unstressed syllables, the coda consonant can only be a stop or a nasal.
In stressed syllables, codas can also be /ⱱ/, /ɾ/ or /h/, as long as the vowel is a monophthong and not a diphthong.
===Consonant Neutralisations===
Voicing and aspiration distinctions are neutralised in syllable codas, though they are still present underlyingly e.g. /sjúˈðâ̰d/ - "city" is pronounced [sjúˈðâ̰t], but when combined with the genitive clitic /i/ to form /sjúˈðâ̰dì/ - "of the city (alienable)", it is pronounced [sjúˈðâ̰dì].
In colloquial speech, stops in the codas of unstressed syllables are debuccalised to glottal stops e.g. the city named /ˈkʰóʔnàt/ is often pronounced [ˈkʰóʔnàʔ].
If a nasal coda occurs before /h/, an approximant, or at the end of a word, it is simply pronounced as nasalisation of the preceding vowel e.g. /áˈtâṵŋ/ - "feather" is pronounced [áˈtâṵⁿ]. But likewise it is still present underlyingly, as can be seen when combined with the genitive clitic /i/ to form /áˈtâṵŋì/ - "of the feather (alienable)", which is pronounced [aˈtâːuŋi].
===Stress and Phonation===
One syllable in each word bears stress. Vowel phonation is phonemic on stressed syllables but not elsewhere. The phonations are harsh <â> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harsh_voice], breathy <ä> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathy_voice], and glottalised <á>. Harsh and breathy vowels are pronounced long, glottalised vowels are pronounced short, and with glottalisation of the following consonant (or with a glottal stop [ʔ] in the case of word final syllables).
===Allophones of /h/===
Between two vowels, /h/ is voiced to [ɦ] e.g. /máháˈkáʔp/ - "eternity" is pronounced /máɦáˈkáʔp/
/h/ can occur in the coda of stressed syllables. It's realisation depends on the phonation of the previous vowel, but is always pharyngeal.
If the stressed vowel has breathy phonation, the /h/ manifests itself as a pharyngeal fricative [ħ] e.g. /à̤h/ - "question" is pronounced [à̤ħ]. Compare /ŋà̤/ - "fish" which is pronounced [ŋà̤].
If the stressed vowel has glottalised phonation, the /h/ manifests itself as a pharyngeal stop [ʡ] e.g. /dáʔh/ - "darkness" is pronounced [dáʡ]. Compare /táʔ/ - "a wish" (in a nostalgic context) which is pronounced with a glottal stop [táʔ].
/h/ never occurs after vowels with harsh phonation.
Of course, if a process such a cliticisation (e.g. with the genitive clitic /i/) means that the /h/ is no longer in coda position, then these process do not occur e.g.
/à̤h ì/ - "of the question (alienable)" is pronounced [ˈà̤ɦì].
/dáʔh ì/ - "of the darkness (alienable)" is pronounced [ˈdaʔhì].
Also, if a coda [ʡ] (i.e. /h/ after a glottalised stressed vowel) is followed by a consonant that can be aspirated (i.e. /p/, /t/, /k/, or /s/), there is a tendency to manifest this as aspiration on the consonant instead e.g.
/bóhsòut/ - "bauxite", can be pronounced either [ˈbóʡsòut] or [ˈbósʰòut].
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