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Proto-Rathmosian: Difference between revisions
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Proto-Rathmosian is written with the Roman alphabet using the following graphs. | Proto-Rathmosian is written with the Roman alphabet using the following graphs. | ||
:: ''a b d e f g h i k l m n p r s t u w y ə'' | :: ''a b d e f g h i k l m n p r s t ts u w y ə'' | ||
The following table shows the sound to spelling correspondences: | The following table shows the sound to spelling correspondences: | ||
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| style="width: 20px; "| '''''s''''' | | style="width: 20px; "| '''''s''''' | ||
| style="width: 20px; "| '''''t''''' | | style="width: 20px; "| '''''t''''' | ||
| style="width: 20px; "| '''''ts''''' | |||
| style="width: 20px; "| '''''u''''' | | style="width: 20px; "| '''''u''''' | ||
| style="width: 20px; "| '''''uu''''' | | style="width: 20px; "| '''''uu''''' | ||
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| s | | s | ||
| t | | t | ||
| ts | |||
| u | | u | ||
| uː | | uː | ||
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| ə | | ə | ||
|} | |} | ||
==Phonotactics== | |||
===Roots=== | |||
Most lexical items in Proto-Rathmosian (particularly inflected words) consist of a root plus various derivational and/or morphological affixes. Roots are monosyllabic and must have the minimal form '''VC''' in which '''V''' represents any primary vowel (''a, e, i, u'') and '''C''' any consonant. Most roots will also have an initial consonant (vowel-initial roots are relatively rare and may have developed from the loss of an initial /h/ or glottal stop /ʔ/, e.g. */had, ʔad/ > ''ad-''). | |||
Consonant clusters are limited to '''CL''' in onset position, in which '''L''' represents a liquid (''l'' or ''r'') and '''C''' any consonant except ''l, r, w'' or ''y''. In coda position the only consonant cluster permitted is '''GC''', in which '''G''' represents a glide (''w'' or ''y'') and '''C''' any other consonant. Within root boundaries, geminates are permitted only in coda position as a result of the process known as '''diminutive gemination'''. | |||
The vowels of primary roots are always short. However, vowel length may be altered by derivation or morphology in predictable ways, either lengthened to create a double vowel ('''VV''' or /Vː/), or deleted. In some cases, deletion of a root vowel results in an unpronouncable syllable which is filled by the reduced vowel ''ə'' /ə/. Vowels followed by glides ''y'' or ''w'' effectively create diphthongs. These vowels may also undergo lengthening (e.g. ''reyk-'' > ''reeyk-'') or deletion. In the latter case, the semivowel is treated as either ''i'' /i/ or ''u'' /u/ (e.g. ''reyk-'' > ''rik-''). | |||
* '''CVC''', e.g. ''ret-'' "go, move", ''ker-'' "rule" | |||
* '''CLVC''', in which '''L''' represents a liquid (''l'' or ''r''), e.g. ''glis-'' "live, stay", ''mlak-'' "be dead" | |||
* '''CVGC''' , in which '''G''' represents a glide (''w'' or ''y''), e.g. ''tiyk-'' "touch, feel", ''reyk-'' "love" | |||
* '''CLVGC''', e.g. ''trayh-'' "strangle, choke", ''sluyn-'' "seep, ooze". | |||
* '''VC''', e.g. | |||
* '''VGC''', e.g. | |||
Vowels for basic roots are always short, but derivational and morphological processes can result in vowel lengthening or deletion. | |||
Exceptions to the strict criteria for roots are grammatical words such as conjunctions and particles, plus a number of onomatopeic or child-talk words (see below). | |||
==Syllables and Roots== | ==Syllables and Roots== | ||
Words are constructed from a root plus various derivational or morphological affixes. Roots are almost always monosyllabic and | Words are constructed from a root plus various derivational or morphological affixes. Roots are almost always monosyllabic and usually begin and end with a consonant, though some vowel-initial roots do occur. They may take one of the following forms: | ||
Affixes may be V, VC, C, CV, CVC. | Affixes may be V, VC, C, CV, CVC. | ||