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Thrichian: Difference between revisions
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The letters k, c, t create a continuum among themselves, where any can represent a sound made by the one to their immediate left or right. K can represent /k/ while c can represent /k/ or /ts/ and t can represent /ts/ or /t/. Their inherent broad pronunciations remain distinguishable k > /k/ c > /k/ t > /t/. It is not too dissimilar to the pronunciations in English of the letters s, c, k, q. | The letters k, c, t create a continuum among themselves, where any can represent a sound made by the one to their immediate left or right. K can represent /k/ while c can represent /k/ or /ts/ and t can represent /ts/ or /t/. Their inherent broad pronunciations remain distinguishable k > /k/ c > /k/ t > /t/. It is not too dissimilar to the pronunciations in English of the letters s, c, k, q. | ||
The reasoning for the existence of two consonants representing the sound /k/ is that, in Old Thrichian, an affricate consonant /kx/ existed, represented by the character c. This later merged with /k/ but was maintained in writing for distinction and ease of transcribing dialects where the merger had not yet occurred. Now, however, the affricate /kx/ is completely lost. | The reasoning for the existence of two consonants representing the sound /k/ is that, in Old Thrichian, an affricate consonant /kx/ existed, represented by the character c. This later merged with /k/ but was maintained in writing for distinction and ease of transcribing dialects where the merger had not yet occurred. Now, however, the affricate /kx/ is completely lost. | ||
'''DIGRAPHS''' | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! broad !! slender !! word-final | |||
|- | |||
|zg || /ʒ/ || /ʒ/ || - | |||
|- | |||
|gz || word-initial form of zg. || - || - | |||
|- | |||
|mh || /β/ or /w/ || /v/ || /u/ or /v/ | |||
|- | |||
|th || /ð,θ/ || /ð,θ / || /ð,θ/ | |||
|- | |||
|hv || /hw/ or /xw/ || /hv/ or /xf/ || - | |||
|- | |||
|ht || /ht/ or /xt/ || /hts/ or /xts/ || - | |||
|- | |||
|ėmh || /u/ || /uv/ || /u/ | |||
|- | |||
|rr || /ʀ/ || /ʀ/ || - | |||
|} | |||
Thrichian allows for trigraphs involving preaspiration (h-) before voiceless plosives. Nasal consonants can also come after these digraphs, assimilating in place of articulation with the plosive. These consonant clusters are as follows. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! single !! geminal !! with nasal | |||
|- | |||
|p || hp || hpp || hpm | |||
|- | |||
|t || ht || htt || htn | |||
|- | |||
|c || hc || hcc || hkŋ | |||
|- | |||
|k || hk || hkk || hkŋ | |||
|- | |||
|č || hč || hčč || - | |||
|} | |||
When these clusters go through the consonant gradation process, the preaspiration changes to /v/. The nasal clusters change to (hpm > vvm, htn > vvn, hkŋ > vvŋ) The vv in these clusters is geminal. | |||
Preaspitation can also occur word-initially, such as in htán, meaning young. When this occurs, the word is only aspirated if the preceding word ends in a vowel. In isolation, many speakers would say /ta:n/ for htán. | |||