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User:Chrysophylax/merrish: Difference between revisions
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==Phonology== | ==Phonology== | ||
===Consonants=== | ===Segments=== | ||
====Consonants==== | |||
{{PAGENAME}} has 18 consonants. A significant portion are fricatives. | {{PAGENAME}} has 18 consonants. A significant portion are fricatives. | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||
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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. | 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=== | ====Vowels==== | ||
{{PAGENAME}} 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). | {{PAGENAME}} 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). | ||
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| style="height:30px; font-size:smaller; text-align:right;" | '''Open''' | | style="height:30px; font-size:smaller; text-align:right;" | '''Open''' | ||
|} | |} | ||
{{PAGENAME}} 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/ do not occur in this position in the native lexicon. | |||
====Nucleus==== | |||