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Mannish: Difference between revisions
→Nasals
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Pronouns are declined for gender, number, and person. Their usage is not obligatory, however, and as such Mannish is a pro-drop language; a feature that sets it apart from most of its Germanic relatives. | Pronouns are declined for gender, number, and person. Their usage is not obligatory, however, and as such Mannish is a pro-drop language; a feature that sets it apart from most of its Germanic relatives. | ||
===Notable Characteristics=== | ===Notable Characteristics=== | ||
*Simple future tense derived from | *Simple future tense derived from an infinitive stem followed by a conjugated form of the verb "to be" (Mannish ''wesn''): ''Hó fiþím'' "I will find him", from ''Hó fiþ imi'', literally "I am to find him". | ||
* Lack of universal initial syllable stress due to long vowels and diphthongs attracting stress, '' | * Lack of universal initial syllable stress due to long vowels and diphthongs attracting stress, ''kwingdóur'', [kʋigːəˈdɔʉɐ] "kingdom", from PrG *kuningadōmaz | ||
* Complete lack of Germanic umlaut and (as long vowels are not different in quality and not counting diphthongs) a relatively low vowel inventory in comparison to other Germanic languages. | * Complete lack of Germanic umlaut and (as long vowels are not different in quality and not counting diphthongs) a relatively low vowel inventory in comparison to other Germanic languages. | ||
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The letters c, q, x, y, and z are only used in a small number of recent loanwords. Most older loanwords have been assimilated into the standard orthographical conventions, with younger ones retaining their native orthography to one degree or another. | The letters c, q, x, y, and z are only used in a small number of recent loanwords. Most older loanwords have been assimilated into the standard orthographical conventions, with younger ones retaining their native orthography to one degree or another. | ||
For example, '' | For example, ''Mín Notebook'' "My Notebook" (as in the computer) has yet to be altered due to how recent of a loan it is, while ''Míné twalette'' "My toilet" has already been altered due to it being an older loanword from French. | ||
The orthography is largely regular, albeit not completely intuitive to speakers of, say, English. The vowels are fairly straightforward, while the consonants have more ambiguities that are not inherently evident at first glance. | The orthography is largely regular, albeit not completely intuitive to speakers of, say, English. The vowels are fairly straightforward, while the consonants have more ambiguities that are not inherently evident at first glance. | ||
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| Fricative || ||/f/ || /θ/ || /s/ || /ç/ || || | | Fricative || ||/f/ || /θ/ || /s/ || /ç/ || || | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Approximant || || || || /l/|| /j/ || /w/ || /ɰ/ | | Approximant || || || || /l/ || /j/ || /w/ || /ɰ/ | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Rhotic | | Rhotic || || || || /r/ || || || | ||
|} | |} | ||
====Allophonic Variation==== | ====Allophonic Variation==== | ||
=====Nasals===== | =====Nasals===== | ||
The phonemes /m/ and /n/ are both subject to significant allophony before fricatives. Before the fricatives /f θ s ç/ both sounds denasalize and shift place of articulation to assimilate with the appropriate fricative. Before /p b t d k g/ the nasals assimilate completely, resulting in gemination of the original velars. This change is not reflected in the orthography. | The phonemes /m/ and /n/ are both subject to significant allophony before fricatives. Before the fricatives /f θ s ç/ both sounds denasalize and shift place of articulation to assimilate with the appropriate fricative, the resulting affricate is reduced to the base fricative if another consonant follows (or was historically pronounced but no longer is). Before /p b t d k g/ the nasals assimilate completely, resulting in gemination of the original velars, unless before another consonant, in which case the gemination is no longer present. This change is not always reflected in the orthography. | ||
Example: | Example: | ||
* '' | * ''éksénþe'' "they beg" [ˈeːˌt͡sæ:t̪͡θe] | ||
* ''tungé'' "tongue" [ | * ''tungé'' "tongue" [ˈtugːeː] | ||
* ''þanht'' "thought" [ | * ''þanht'' "thought" [θɑç] | ||
* ''þankn'' "to thank" [ | * ''þankn'' "to thank" [ˈθɑkŋ̩] | ||
* ''þankjn'' "to think" [ | * ''þankjn'' "to think" [ˈθɑçɲ̩] | ||
* ''sumpa'' "fungus" [ˈsupːɑ] (contrasts with ''supa'' "soup" [ˈsupɑ]) | * ''sumpa'' "fungus" [ˈsupːɑ] (contrasts with ''supa'' "soup" [ˈsupɑ]) | ||
* ''sumf'' "swamp" [sup͡f] | * ''sumf'' "swamp" [sup͡f] | ||
* ''sandn'' "to send" [ | * ''sandn'' "to send" [ˈsɑdn̩] | ||
===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||