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Hnyengu: Difference between revisions
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===Phonotactics=== | ===Phonotactics=== | ||
Syllable structures can be of the form | Syllable structures can be of the form C (C) V (C), where C is a consonant and V is a vowel (monophthong or diphthong). When two consonants form the onset of a syllable, the second must be /j/. Excluding the previously discussed cases, the only permissible clusters consist of a labial consonant + /j/. | ||
In all dialects, /p/, /t/ and / | In all dialects, /p/, /t/, /k/ and /ʔ/ can occur as codas. | ||
Nasals can also occur as codas, but in most dialects they do not contrast phonemically with one another. Before another consonant a nasal is always homorganic with that consonant, and at the end of words the only nasal coda heard is [ɲ] after front vowels and [ŋ] elsewhere (in the SW dialect this is simply nasalisation of the preceding vowel). | Nasals can also occur as codas, but in most dialects they do not contrast phonemically with one another. Before another consonant a nasal is always homorganic with that consonant, and at the end of words the only nasal coda heard is [ɲ] after front vowels and [ŋ] elsewhere (in the SW dialect this is simply nasalisation of the preceding vowel). | ||
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In the Eastern dialect, the flaps /ⱱ/ and /ɾ/ can also occur as codas (in other dialects, the corresponding words end in /ⱱə/ and /ɾə/. | In the Eastern dialect, the flaps /ⱱ/ and /ɾ/ can also occur as codas (in other dialects, the corresponding words end in /ⱱə/ and /ɾə/. | ||
====Grassman's Law==== | |||
=====Eastern Dialect===== | |||
In the Eastern dialect, a sound change analagous to Grassman's Law in Indo-European has occured. In a single word, there can only be a single aspirated consonant. In words that contain more than one, all but the last is deleted e.g. /pʰuˈɾepʰe/ - "to prepare" is /puˈɾepʰe/ in the Eastern dialect. Voiceless nasals, /ʍ/, /ɬ/ and /h/ count as aspirated consonants, and change to voiced nasals, /w/, /l/ and /ʔ/ respectively e.g. /ˈkʰoɬi/ - "coffee" is /ˈkoɬi/ in the Eastern dialect. | |||
=====NW Dialect===== | |||
Grassman's Law also operates in the NW dialect, albeit in the opposite direction. All but the first aspirated consonant is deleted, so /pʰuˈɾepʰe/ - "to prepare" is /pʰuˈɾepe/. Also, /ɬ/ lenites to /ʎ/ rather than /l/ e.g. /ˈkʰoɬi/ - "coffee" becomes /ˈkʰoʎi/. | |||