Pategian

Dapkhan (Dap Khah vaam) is the official language of Dapkha in Bjeheond.

Introduction

Dapkhan is a tonal language and is unrelated to the Hlou-Ku languages.

Phonology

Oddly enough, the only nasal sounds present in Dapkhan are retroflex, as the others have undergone mergers. /m n ɲ/ merged with /ʋ l j/ while /ŋ/ disappeared. Historical /z/ merged with /dʰ/.

Initials

p pʰ t tʰ ʈ ʈʰ c cʰ k kʰ bʰ dʰ ɖʰ ɟʰ gʰ

pɳ ʈɳ kɳ pʰɳ kʰɳ pɬ kɬ pr kr pr̥ kr̥

ɳ~ɭ̃ ɳʰ

ts s tɬ ɬ l tʳ r̥ r j ʋ

Medials

a e i o u (e and i are realized as /ə/ and /ɨ/ after retroflex consonants; o and u are realized as /ø/ and /y/ after palatals)

Finals

Ø (null), p, t, ʔ, ṃ (realized as nasalization and lengthening of the previous vowel)

Tones

There are four tones in Dapkhan in addition to the unstressed tone:

1) high level (ā /a˥˦/)

2) mid level (a or ạ /a˧/); not used with breathy initials or final stops

3) low dipping (ǎ /a˨˩˦/); realized as a low level tone with final stops

4) mid rising (á /˧˥/); not used with final stops

Orthography

The consonants are written:

p ph t th nt nth c ch k kh b d nd j g

pn tn kn phn khn phl khl pr kr phr khr

n nh

ts s thl hl l thr hr r y v

The vowels are a e i o u. Finals are written p t k m.

The high level tone is written with an h after the vowel if the final is null, or by doubling the final.

The mid level tone is unmarked.

The dipping tone is written by doubling the vowel. If the final is a stop, the dipping tone is unmarked.

The rising tone is written with an acute accent.

Sample text

Chapp lu nthekk hrá-hrá keem nduum rú hlá tnoh·tsát hlá nhuum·tsát phah lu thup. Pna·cah nduum khree·jett hlá tsih·knekk yat tnop sá, hlá naap-naap lí ntoh-ntoh lu hratt yat biim ke thrap sá.

birth ATTR time human-REDUPL all give free AND dignity and rights in ATTR equal. they give reason and conscience take endow ASPECT, and one-REDUPL join brother-REDUPL ATTR spirit take act QUOT should ASPECT

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.