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=== Phonemic Inventory === | === Phonemic Inventory === | ||
The following chart contains the consonants in the Minhast phonology. Common dialectal variants are marked with an asterisk (*). The phonemes /q/ and /χ/ are found only in the Seal and Wolf Speaker dialects. The origin of these phonemes in the Seal Speaker dialect is unknown, and occurs in only a handful of words. The Wolf Speakers have acquired these phonemes from contact with the Seal Speakers, and they are found | The following chart contains the consonants in the Minhast phonology. Common dialectal variants are marked with an asterisk (*). The phonemes /q/ and /χ/ are found only in the Seal and Wolf Speaker dialects. The origin of these phonemes in the Seal Speaker dialect is unknown, and occurs in only a handful of words. The Wolf Speakers have acquired these phonemes from contact with the Seal Speakers, and they are found almost exclusively in words of Seal Speaker origin, although some of these phonemes have seeped into words originally of Salmonic origin, e.g. /qaraq/ instead of expected Salmonic /karak/. | ||
The Seal Speaker, Wolf Speaker, Horse Speaker and Gull Speaker dialects have either acquired or developed /ɣ/ or [ɣ]. The origin of this phone in the Seal Speaker dialect is unknown, and occurs in only a handful of words, nevertheless it is phonetically distinct. In the Horse Speaker dialect,the phone [ɣ] occurs as a result of assimilation of /r/ → /x/; however the phone has not acquired phonemic status. In the Gull Speaker dialect, [ɣ] occurs as a result of assimilation of /r/ → /g/. A notable example is ''Anyāğ'' for the Stone Speaker city Āhan Yarg. The phone has acquired phonemic status, albeit a minor one, particularly in words that originally began with V-rg- sequences, e.g. ''irgum'' → ''ğum'' "nail" (c.f. Salmon Speaker ''argunni'' "nail"). | The Seal Speaker, Wolf Speaker, Horse Speaker and Gull Speaker dialects have either acquired or developed /ɣ/ or [ɣ]. The origin of this phone in the Seal Speaker dialect is unknown, and occurs in only a handful of words, nevertheless it is phonetically distinct. In the Horse Speaker dialect,the phone [ɣ] occurs as a result of assimilation of /r/ → /x/; however the phone has not acquired phonemic status. In the Gull Speaker dialect, [ɣ] occurs as a result of assimilation of /r/ → /g/. A notable example is ''Anyāğ'' for the Stone Speaker city Āhan Yarg. The phone has acquired phonemic status, albeit a minor one, particularly in words that originally began with V-rg- sequences, e.g. ''irgum'' → ''ğum'' "nail" (c.f. Salmon Speaker ''argunni'' "nail"). | ||
The phoneme /f/ is a minor phoneme in non-Stone Speaker dialects and never occurs word-initially. Its occurrence is most noticeable in the nominalizer ''=naft'', although in some dialects, particularly the Lower Minhast dialects, /h/ has started replacing this dialect. In the Gull Speaker dialect, it is /x/ that has replaced /f/ in most of its lexicon, including in the nominalizer ''=naft'', now realized as ''=naxt''. The Stone Speaker dialect, however, has preserved /f/, allowing it even in word-inital position; moreover, it occurs in high frequency, perhaps as a result of influence from a substratum language. | |||
Only the Horse Speaker dialect has /ħ/ as an independent phoneme. If preceded by a vowel, /ħ/ causes it to lengthen. In contrast, the phone is treated by the other dialects as an allophone of [h], and occurs frequently under predictable phonotactic rules. | Only the Horse Speaker dialect has /ħ/ as an independent phoneme. If preceded by a vowel, /ħ/ causes it to lengthen. In contrast, the phone is treated by the other dialects as an allophone of [h], and occurs frequently under predictable phonotactic rules. | ||