Séiseal

Séiseal /ˈʃeːʃəl̪ˠ/ is the most widespread language of the continent Ghalki in Verse:Angai, belonging to the Qohtic family.

Diachronics

Proto-Séiseal had the following phonology:

• /*m *n *r *l *j *v/
• /*p *t *k *q *b *d *g *G *bh *dh *gh/
• /*s *θ *x *z/
• /*i *æ *a *u *i: *æ: *a: *o: *u: *ai *ei *au *eu/

Broad θ -> modern /ħˠ/, slender θ -> modern /ʃ/

Phonology

The two major accents of Séiseal are Ceadálchóid (inspired by Scottish Gaelic) and Astairíγe (inspired by Munster Irish).

Abstract notation and rules

Consonants: |m n ŋ t k b d g f s x ħ h v z ɣ j ʕ r l| Vowels: |a ‘a ‘i u i: e: a: o: u:|

Phonetic rules |C[+voiced](‘)| + |h| -> |C[-voiced]:(‘)| |m(‘)| + |h| -> |m(‘)p(‘)| |n(‘)| + |h| -> |n(‘)t(‘)|

Consonants

• Nasal: /mˠ mʲ n̪ˠ nʲ ŋ ŋʲ/ m n n/ŋ
• Voiceless stop: /pˠ pʲ t̪ˠ tʲ k kʲ/ p t c
• Voiced stop: /bˠ bʲ d̪ˠ dʲ g gʲ/ b d g
• Voiceless continuant: /fˠ fʲ sˠ ʃ x xʲ ħˠ ħʲ h/ f s ch ħ h
• Voiced continuant: /vˠ vʲ zˠ ʒ ɣ j ʕˠ ʕʲ/ v z γ ȝ
• Liquid: /rˠ rʲ l̪ˠ lʲ/ r l

In both major dialects:

• Voiceless stops are aspirated. In Astairíγe /pˠ t̪ˠ/ may have prominent velar frication: [pˣ t̪ˣ]. All final stops are released.
• /n̪ˠ nʲ/ assimilate to [ŋ ŋʲ] before /k kʲ g gʲ/.
• /ʕˠ ħˠ/ have the vocal quality of [ɑ] and /ʕʲ ħʲ/ the vocal quality of [æ] or cardinal front [a].

Astairíγe palatalized velars are realized as palatals, as in Irish.

Astairíγe /tʲ dʲ/ are palatalized laminal denti-alveolar [t̪ʲ, d̪ʲ] with alveolar allophones [tʲ, dʲ] before /rʲ/. Ceadálchóid /tʲ dʲ/ are [tʃ~tɕ dʒ~dʑ] (with no labialization!), with alveolar allophones [tʲ, dʲ] before /rʲ/.

Astairíγe /fˠ fʲ vˠ vʲ/ are bilabial: [ɸˠ ɸʲ βˠ βʲ].

Vowels

/ə a ɪ ʊ aː eː iː oː uː aj aw/ <a(i)/e(a)/i a/ai/ea/ei io/ui/i u/io/ui á(i)/eá(i) éa/éi/é ao/aoi/í(o)/uí(o) ó(i)/eo(i) (i)ú(i) aγ/aiγ/eaγ/eiγ av/aiv/eav/eiv>

Realizations

/a/

• /'CaC/ <CaC> [ɑ] in Astairíγe, [ä] in Ceadálchóid
• /'CaC’/ <CaiC> [ä~æ] in both
• /'C’aC/ <CeaC> [ä] in Astairíγe, [ɛ] in Ceadálchóid
• /'C’aC’/ <CeiC> [ɛ] in Astarighe, [e] in Ceadálchóid

/ə/:

• Cə <Ca> with broad non-radical C: [ə]
• Cə <Ce> with slender non-radical C: [ɪ̟~ɪ]
• Cə <Ca> with broad radical C: [ɑ]
• Cə <Ce> with slender radical C: [æ]

TODO: schwa between two consonants

/Ci:/ <Caoi(γ), Cuí(γ)> In Astairíγe, [wi:] if C is labial, [ɑ̯i:] if C is pharyngeal, [ɰiː] (Korean eui) otherwise; in Ceadálchóid [ɑ̯ɯː] after radicals, [ɯː] otherwise

/C1uC2’/ <CuiC>

• uiC muiC fuiC buiC ŋuiC cuiC guiC chuiC ghuiC: [ʊ]
• ħuiC ȝuiC: [o̞]
• nuiC tuiC duiC suiC zuiC ruiC luiC: [ɪ]

/C1’iC2/ <CioC>: If C2 is a labial: [ʊ~ʊ̈], otherwise [ɨ̞~ɪ]

/C1’iC2’/ <CiC>: front [ɪ]

The pronunciation of /C’aːC’/, /C’e:C/, and /oː/ varies by dialect.

The vowel in /C’aːC’/: [ɒː ɑː äː æː]: [æː] in Astairíγe, [ɛː] in Ceadálchóid

The vowel in /C’e:C/: [iɑ] in Astairíγe, [iä] in Ceadálchóid, other dialects: [e: ea eə e̝ä iä]

/oː/: [o̝ʌ] in Astairíγe [oː] in Ceadálchóid

Stress

Stress is somewhat phonemic. Word-final <-γ> or <-ˀ> on a long vowel indicates word-final stress.

Intonation

Astairíγe: Traditional Cork Irish; Ceadálchóid: Arabic-esque