User:Chrysophylax/Aškilun
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Background
Phonology
Consonants
Like other ¬ languages, Aškilun has a very reduced vowel inventory. There are only three distinct vowels which when in a weak position1 collapse into a schwa (ə) in a 'weak' position.
| Vowels in North Aškilun | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| front | mid | back | |
| close | i | u | |
| mid | (ə) | ||
| open | ä | ||
- 1. In the religious register yašur isali (“refined speech”) every vowel is pronounced as it were and does not reduce. Compare the pronunciation of ašarraḡin (“to the queen”) as /aˈʃaraʔˌk’in/ with the regular schwa-heavy /əˈʃarəʔˌk’in/.
Three consonant series: unaspirated b /p/, d /t/, g /k/, aspirated p /pʰ/, t /tʰ/, k /kʰ/, ejective ḇ /p’/, ḏ /t’/, ḡ /k’/ These series of stops have traditionally been termed the tenuis, the fortis, and the lenis series.
The language has regressive (leftward) pre-glottalization before the fortis and lenis stops, thus yataḏa /jəˈʔtʰaʔt’a/ 'he collects' but gaduš /katuʃ/ 'knife'