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===Consonants=== | ===Consonants=== | ||
The consonant phonemes of Skerre are given in the chart below: | |||
Stops & Affricates t | |||
> | |||
ts k kw P | |||
Fricatives s h | |||
Nasals n | |||
Liquids R | |||
Glides j w | |||
Stops and affricates are voiced after nasals; pre-consonantal nasals assimilate to the | |||
place of the following sound. The phonemes /s/, | |||
> | |||
/ts/, and /n/ all palatalize before /j/. | |||
The precise articulation of /h/ depends greatly on the following vowel (or preceding one, | |||
if none follows). | |||
===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
The vowel phonemes of Skerre can be divided into two classes, long and short: | |||
short: I, E, A∼a, o | |||
long: i;, E:, A:, o: | |||
The two sets of vowels vary both in terms of length (predominantly) and quality. There | |||
are no diphthongs and no tonal contrasts. | |||
===Stress=== | |||
Stress regularly occurs near the right edge of words. Words with a final short vowel (with or without a final consonant) are stressed on the penultimate syllable, e.g. {{IPA|/kˈisi/}} ‘ghost’. while words with a final long vowel (again, with or without a final consonant) are stressed on that vowel, e.g. {{IPA|/heˈtiː/}} ‘sibling’s child’. | Stress regularly occurs near the right edge of words. Words with a final short vowel (with or without a final consonant) are stressed on the penultimate syllable, e.g. {{IPA|/kˈisi/}} ‘ghost’. while words with a final long vowel (again, with or without a final consonant) are stressed on that vowel, e.g. {{IPA|/heˈtiː/}} ‘sibling’s child’. | ||
===Phonotactics=== | ===Phonotactics=== | ||
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Roots are almost all CVV(C) or CV(V)CV(V)(C) in shape (parentheses indicate optional sounds; VV indicates a long vowel). Consonant clusters occur (especially initially), but only at morphological boundaries. | Roots are almost all CVV(C) or CV(V)CV(V)(C) in shape (parentheses indicate optional sounds; VV indicates a long vowel). Consonant clusters occur (especially initially), but only at morphological boundaries. | ||
==Morphology== | ==Morphology== | ||
Skerre is a mildly synthetic language, though a number of important grammatical categories are expressed through function words. The syntax is strongly head-initial, with heads appearing before all kinds of dependents. | Skerre is a mildly synthetic language, though a number of important grammatical categories are expressed through function words. The syntax is strongly head-initial, with heads appearing before all kinds of dependents. |