User:Chrysophylax/merrish

Background

Merrish
Mbhath her Maer
Pronunciation[[Help:IPA|[[mwaθ χeɾ maːeɾ]]]]
Created byChrysophylax
SettingArdam
Isolate
  • Merrish
Language codes
ISO 639-3qmw

Phonology

Segments

Consonants

Chrysophylax/merrish has 18 consonants. A significant portion are fricatives.

bilabial labiodental dental (post)alveolar velar uvular
nasal m n
stops t d ⟨c⟩ k g ⟨k⟩ q
fricatives f v ⟨th⟩ θ ⟨dh⟩ ð ⟨z⟩ s̺ˡ ⟨s⟩ ʃ ⟨ch⟩ x ⟨h⟩ χ
tap ⟨r⟩ ɾ
approximant ⟨bh⟩ w

The approximant /w/ is realised as [u] in positions where a consonant would be forbidden. Clusters are forbidden in the coda and thus in words such as 'mabhr' /mawɾ/ /w/ surfaces as [mauɾ]. Compare with mbhath /mwaθ/ where /w/ remains a consonant.

Vowels

Chrysophylax/merrish has, in the traditional analysis, a phonemically vertical three-vowel system. There is no length distinction. Phonetically, the low vowel a can be realised as a back, semi-rounded vowel [ɑʷ] before uvular consonants or as an (occasionally long) [æ] before a historical /j/ (written ⟨gh⟩ in the orthography).

Some have argued one should count another vowel phoneme æ on the basis of minimal pairs such as mbha [mwa] and mbhagh [mwæː]. Traditionally, however, consensus has been that in light of its restricted appearance (only appearing before historical /j/, does not appear in CVC syllables) and metrical patterning (CV syllables with *æ count as heavy syllables unlike those with an /a i u/), æ is at most a marginal, emerging phoneme and better viewed as an allophone of /a/.

Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
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i


e



a
Near‑close
Close‑mid
Mid
Open‑mid
Near‑open
Open

Chrysophylax/merrish has three falling diphthongs ⟨egh⟩ /ei/, ⟨abh⟩ /au/, ⟨ae⟩ /ae/ which may be pronounced with the first element slightly lengthened, e.g. /maeɾ/ [maːeɾ].

Syllables

The Merrish syllable can assume the following forms: V, VC, CV, CVC. In addition to this, an approximant G can flank the nucleus on either or both sides. The syllable is maximally CGVGC e.g. fbhabhr /fwawr/ [fwaur] ('forest').

Phonotactic restrictions

Onset

The phonemes /q/, /r/, /x/ do not occur in this position in the native lexicon.

Coda