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Guaru: Difference between revisions
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When stressed, these vowels have the tense cardinal pronunciations of [i e a o u]. When unstressed, they tend to weaken towards [ɪ ɛ ɐ ɔ ʊ]. | |||
Each vowel constitutes a ''mora'' or time unit of speech. Vowels may appear together in "couplets" (bimoraic pairs) as illustrated in the following table. | Each vowel constitutes a ''mora'' or time unit of speech. Vowels may appear together in "couplets" (bimoraic pairs) as illustrated in the following table. | ||
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The sequences of identical vowels /ii ee aa oo uu/ are pronounced as long vowels [iː ɛː aː ɔː uː]. | The sequences of identical vowels /ii ee aa oo uu/ are pronounced as long vowels [iː ɛː aː ɔː uː]. | ||
Sequences of three or more vowels are only allowed where there is a high vowel /i/ or /u/ beginning a valid couplet. For example, / | |||
===Phonotactics=== | |||
Monomoraic initial syllables have the structure CV as in '''te''' /te/, '''ha''' /ha/. | |||
Bimoraic initial syllables have the structure CVV, as in '''ia''' /ʔia/, '''nua''' /nua/. | |||
Within a word, bimoraic syllables without an initial consonant (VV) are allowed but only under certain circumstances. | |||
As can be seen in the table above, the vowel sequences /*ei *ai *oi *eu *au *ou/ do not occur as couplets. These may appear, however, where a couplet sits adjacent to another vowel or couplet, as in /ke.io/ which consists of the monomoraic syllable /ke/ followed by the bimoraic /io/, or /tio.ua/ consisting of bimoraic syllables /tio/ and /ua/. | |||
Sequences of three or more vowels are only allowed where there is a high vowel /i/ or /u/ beginning a valid couplet. For example, the words /huo.'''u'''a/, /no.'''i'''o/, /li.'''i'''e/ /mae.'''i'''i/, /ʔua.'''i'''o.'''u'''u/ are permitted; /*laeoa/, /*tuoa/, and /*meeo/ are not. In addition, no more than two instances of any one vowel may occur together, meaning that /iiio/ and /uuuu/ are not permitted, even though they each consist of valid couplets. Illegal vowel combinations, where they come together, are broken up by one of two methods. | |||
:(1) By the glottal stop /ʔ/. Where these sequences could occur across word boundaries, underlying initial /ʔ/ or /h/, which may otherwise be elided, is triggered to appear in all but excessively casual speech. | |||
:(2) In casual speech before the particles /hi/ and /hu/ (which frequently lack /h/), by raising an /e/ or /o/ to /i/ or /u/ respectively, for example /kao hi/ becomes pronounced /ka.u‿i/. In more formal or careful speech, the /h/ is preserved and no raising occurs. | |||
===Prosody=== | |||
Stress in Guaru is realised as a slightly louder, tenser and higher tone on the vowel of the stressed mora. Vowels in unstressed morae are laxer and quieter, although just as long. | |||
All words of more than one mora have a strong word stress on the first mora. Any bimoraic syllables within a word also receive a slight stress on the first mora and in long words, there may be a slight stress on the second last mora, even if it is the second mora of a bimoraic syllable. | |||
The last content word within a phrase receives sentence stress, with monomoraic particles being completely unstressed. | |||
Sentences generally drop in tone from the last stress. A level or rising tone indicates that the speaker is not finished. Yes-no questions may be delivered with rising tone from the last stress although this is sometimes absent. | |||