Luthic: Difference between revisions

Luthic allows up to three consonants in syllable-initial position, though there are limitations. The syllable structure of Luthic is (C)(C)(C)(G)V(G)(C)(C). As with English, there exist many words that begin with three consonants. Luthic lacks bimoraic (diphthongs and long vowels), as the so-called diphthongs are composed of one semiconsonantal (glide) sound [j] or [w].

| f ~ ɸ v ~ β p b t d k ɡ || r || j w

| s || p k || r l

| s || f ~ ɸ t || r

| z || b || l

| z || d ɡ || r

| z || m n v ~ β d͡ʒ r l || —

| p b f ~ ɸ v ~ β k ɡ || r l || —

| ɡ || n l || —

| p t k d || r || —

| θ ð || v ~ β r || —

| t || v ~ β || —

| kʷ ɡʷ t͡s t͡ʃ d͡ʒ ʃ r ɲ l ʎ || — || —  

* /s/ + any voiceless stop or /f ~ ɸ/;

* /z/ + any voiced stop, /v ~ β d͡ʒ m n l r/;

* /f ~ ɸ v ~ β/, or any stop + /r/;

* /f ~ ɸ v ~ β/, or any stop except /t d/ + /l/;

* f ~ ɸ v ~ β s z/, or any stop or nasal + /j w/;

* In Graeco-Roman words origin which are only partially assimilated, other combinations such as /pn/ (e.g. ''pneumaticu''), /mn/ (e.g. ''mnemonicu''), /tm/ (e.g. ''tmesi''), and /ps/ (e.g. ''pseudo-'') occur.

As an onset, the cluster /s/ + voiceless consonant is inherently unstable. Phonetically, word-internal s+C normally syllabifies as [s.C]. A competing analysis accepts that while the syllabification /s.C/ is accurate historically, modern retreat of i-[[w:Prothesis (linguistics)|prosthesis]] before word initial /s/+C (e.g. ''miþ isforzȧ'' “with effort” has generally given way to ''miþ sforza'') suggests that the structure is now underdetermined, with occurrence of /s.C/ or /.sC/ variable “according to the context and the idiosyncratic behaviour of the speakers.”

* /s/ + voiceless stop or /f ~ ɸ/ + /r/;

* /z/ + voiced stop + /r/;

* /s/ + /p k/ + /l/;

* /z/ + /b/ + /l/;

* /f ~ ɸ v ~ β/ or any stop + /r/ + /j w/.