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===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
The vowel system is very similar to Thangha'. In stressed syllables, there are 5 vowel phonemes /iː/, /uː/, /e/, /o/ and /aː/~/a/ (speakers vary as to whether they pronounce it long or short). As in Thangha', the length of the vowel is more important than the quality in contrasting /iː/ and /uː/ vs. /e/ and /o/. In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/). | The vowel system is very similar to Thangha'. In stressed syllables, there are 5 vowel phonemes /iː/, /uː/, /e/, /o/ and /aː/~/a/ (speakers vary as to whether they pronounce it long or short). As in Thangha', the length of the vowel is more important than the quality in contrasting /iː/ and /uː/ vs. /e/ and /o/. In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i], [e], [o] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/). | ||
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The pronunciation of short vowels with breathy phonation varies depending on a variety of factors. At the end of words, they are normally pronounced with a final /ɦ/, or occasionally [z] or [ɹ]. If the vowel precedes an obstruent (stop, affricate or fricative), then a voiceless fricative is inserted, that is homorganic with the obstruent e.g. / | The pronunciation of short vowels with breathy phonation varies depending on a variety of factors. At the end of words, they are normally pronounced with a final /ɦ/, or occasionally [z] or [ɹ]. If the vowel precedes an obstruent (stop, affricate or fricative), then a voiceless fricative is inserted, that is homorganic with the obstruent e.g. /fáˈʑè̤tə̀/ - "forest" is most often pronounced [fɛ́ˈʑìstə̀]. However this is in free variation with preaspiration, so the word for forest can also be pronounced as [fɛ́ˈʑìʰtə̀]. If the vowel precedes a sonorant, then it is pronounced geminated and with breathy voice e.g. /ˈjè̤mə̀/ - "salt" is usually pronounced [ˈji̤m̤ːə̀]. | ||
===Tone Patterns=== | ===Tone Patterns=== | ||
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====Nasal Consonants==== | ====Nasal Consonants==== | ||
A schwa has a strong tendency to be lost if it occurs immediately after a nasal consonant, and immediately before a stop or affricate. In this case, the nasal changes it's place or articulation to be homorganic with the stop / affricate e.g. / | A schwa has a strong tendency to be lost if it occurs immediately after a nasal consonant, and immediately before a stop or affricate. In this case, the nasal changes it's place or articulation to be homorganic with the stop / affricate e.g. /çə́wá'''ŋə́ˈp'''ô̰/ - "udder" is usually heard as [ḉʉwɔ́'''mˈp'''ɔ̰̂ː] (here and below, the parts of the word that undergo assimilation have been marked in bold). | ||
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A similar process transforms the sequence /nəjə/ to [ɲːi], as in the name of the language, Seggeynni [ˈséɠə̀i'''ɲːì'''], underlyingly /ˈséʕkə̀jə̀'''nə̀jə̀'''/. | A similar process transforms the sequence /nəjə/ to [ɲːi], as in the name of the language, Seggeynni [ˈséɠə̀i'''ɲːì'''], underlyingly /ˈséʕkə̀jə̀'''nə̀jə̀'''/. | ||
====Debuccalisation of Stops==== | ====Debuccalisation of Stops==== | ||
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If a schwa is preceded by a stop, and followed by a sonorant, then both the schwa and the preceding stop are deleted, and the sonorant is glottalised and geminated e.g. /kʷə́ˈjḛ̀pá='''pə́m'''á/ - "from the cave" [kʷʉ́ˈjḛ̀ʢpá'''m̰ː'''á]. | If a schwa is preceded by a stop, and followed by a sonorant, then both the schwa and the preceding stop are deleted, and the sonorant is glottalised and geminated e.g. /kʷə́ˈjḛ̀pá='''pə́m'''á/ - "from the cave" [kʷʉ́ˈjḛ̀ʢpá'''m̰ː'''á]. | ||
====Semivowels==== | ====Semivowels==== | ||
An extremely common phonetic process involves sequences of /a/ or /ə/ followed by /jə/, /wə/ or /ɥə/. The second schwa is deleted, and the semivowel assimilates with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong. /ajə/ becomes [ai], /awə/ becomes [au], and /aɥə/ becomes [aʉ]. Likewise /əjə/ becomes [əi], /əwə/ becomes [əu], and /əɥə/ becomes [əʉ]. An example of this is in the name of the language, /ˈséʕk'''ə̀jə̀'''nə̀jə̀/, which is pronounced as [ˈséɠ'''ə̀i'''ɲːì]. | An extremely common phonetic process involves sequences of /a/ or /ə/ followed by /jə/, /wə/ or /ɥə/. The second schwa is deleted, and the semivowel assimilates with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong. /ajə/ becomes [ai], /awə/ becomes [au], and /aɥə/ becomes [aʉ]. Likewise /əjə/ becomes [əi], /əwə/ becomes [əu], and /əɥə/ becomes [əʉ]. An example of this is in the name of the language, /ˈséʕk'''ə̀jə̀'''nə̀jə̀/, which is pronounced as [ˈséɠ'''ə̀i'''ɲːì]. | ||
===Comparison with Kämpya=== | |||
At the phonological level, the two languages are completely different, however at the phonetic level, many words are similar. Below is a table comparing words in the two languages, as well as words in the older version of Kämpya that the two languages diverged from | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! Gloss !! Seggeynni Phonemic !! Seggeynni Phonetic !! Kämpya !! Old Kämpya | |||
|- | |||
| Seggeynni || /ˈséʕkə̀jə̀nə̀jə̀/ || [ˈséɠə̀iɲːì || [ˈséʔkìnì] || */ˈsɛ́ʔkìnì/ | |||
|- | |||
| forest || /fáˈʑè̤tə̀/ || [fɛ́ˈʑìstə̀] || [pʰáˈzè̤t] || */fáˈzè̤t/ | |||
|- | |||
| salt || /ˈjè̤mə̀/ || [ˈji̤m̤ːə̀] || [ˈjè̤m] || */ˈjè̤m/ | |||
|- | |||
| snare || /ɲḛ̂/ || [ɲḛ̂ʢ] || [n̥ḛ̂] || */n̥ḛ̂/ | |||
|- | |||
| udder || /çə̀wàŋə̀ˈpô̰/ || [çʉ́wɔ́mˈpɔ̰̂ː] || [çámˈpâṵ] || */hjɔ́ŋpɔ̰̂/ | |||
|- | |||
| forgetfulness || /jámə́ˈɲì̤ːjà/ || [jɛ́ˈɲːì̤ːjà] || [ámˈnèi̤jà] || */ɛ́mˈnèi̤jà/ | |||
|- | |||
| rotten || /zə́ˈwòʔtɕə̀nə̀/ || [zúˈwʉ̀ʔtɕìⁿ] || [ˈzwóʔtèⁿ] || */ˈzwɔ́ʔtèn/ | |||
|- | |||
| everyone || /ʔáˈɫʷṳ̀ːmə̀/ || [ʔɒ́ɫʷṳ̀ːm] || [áˈlòṳⁿ] || */áˈlòṳm/ | |||
|- | |||
| Hkonat (the name of a city) || /ˈqóʔɲàtə̀/ || [ˈqɔ́ʔɲɛ̀ʔ] || [ˈkʰóʔnàt] || */ˈkʰɔ́ʔnɛ̀t/ | |||
|- | |||
| at Hkonat || /ˈqòʔɲátə́=ká/ || [ˈqɔ̀ʔɲɛ́kːá] || [ˈkʰòʔnátká] || /ˈkʰɔ̀ʔnɛ́t=ká/ | |||
|- | |||
| cave || /kʷə́ˈjḛ̂pà/ || [kʷʉ́ˈjḛ̂ʢpà] || [kwḛ̂pà] || */kwḛ̂pà/ | |||
|- | |||
| from the cave || /kʷə́ˈjḛ̀pá=pə́má/ || [kʷʉ́ˈjḛ̀ʢpám̰ːá] || [ˈkʷḛ̀pám̥á] || */ˈkʷḛ̀pá=m̥á/ | |||
|} |
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