Tlemba phonology
▲
0▲ 0 ▼ 0
the sounds and such
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 17 Sep 2018, 06:11.
[comments] tmbphonologyphonotactics
1. Tlemba phonology
?
?
Tlemba has a phonological inventory of (mostly) average size and content, straightforwards phonology and fairly simple phonotactics.Note: Throughout this article, if <x> is ever given as an IPA value (/x/ or [x]), it actually indicates /ʕ/ (the voiced pharyngeal fricative). Velar fricatives never occurs in Tlemba, even at the phonetic level.
Consonants | Labial | Alveolar | Palatish | Velar | Radical |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n hnˀn | ŋ | ||
N. click | ḿʘ̃ | ńǃ̃ | ỹǂ̃ | ||
Click | wʘ | ḷǃ | ýǂ | ||
Stop | p ppˀp b | t ttˀt d | jd͡ʒ | k (g) | q hʔ |
Fricative | f (v) | s ssˀs | šʃ hsˀʃ | xʕ | |
Liquid | l r tlɺˀ | yj |
/v/ and /g/ may appear in loan words.
/ɺˀ/ is a special phoneme appearing only at the beginning of roots and written with «tl».
Vowels | Front | Central | Back |
---|---|---|---|
High | i | uʊ | |
Mid | eɛ | oʌ | |
Low | aä |
There are also the diphthongs ei and aiäi.
Phonation changes
Voiced consonants /m n ŋ l r b d dʒ/ become voiceless [m̥ n̥ ŋ̥ l̥ r̥ p t tʃ] when
- word-final, after a voiceless sound
- sexesn 'savanna' /sɛʕesn/ → [sɛ̰ʕɛsn̥]
- sexesn 'savanna' /sɛʕesn/ → [sɛ̰ʕɛsn̥]
- word-internally (after derivation) when surrounded by voiceless sounds)
- lek-bsen 'stir-stick' /lɛk-bsɛn/ → [lɛkpsɛn]
- /ˀn ˀl/ may also devoice word-initially (free var.)
- tlaso 'flatbread' /ˀɺäsʌ/ → [ˀɺ̥äsʌ]
Voiceless fricatives /f s ʃ/ may voice [v z ʒ] between two vowels (free var.).
Vowels /i ɛ ä ʌ ʊ/ become creaky-voiced /ɪ̰ ɛ̰ ä̰ o̰ ṵ/ before /ʔ/ or /x/
- /biʕin/ 'baby' → [bɪ̰ʕin]
- some speakers will apply this to vowels immediately following as well, therefore [bɪ̰ʕɪ̰n]
Vowel mutations
Vowels change height in a variety of environments.
- /ʊ ʌ/ → /u o/ before N, if they are in the second+ syllable
- /tsʊn/ 'bolt of lightning' → [tsʊn]
- /qimʊn/ 'king' → [qɪmun]
- /tilʌm/ 'suck' → [tsilom]
- /tsʊn/ 'bolt of lightning' → [tsʊn]
- /ʊ/ → [u] word-finally
- /mäsʊ/ → [masu]
- /mäsʊ/ → [masu]
- /i/ → [ɪ] when before or after /q/
- /qim/ 'hay' → [qɪm]
- /qim/ 'hay' → [qɪm]
- /i/ → [ɪ] before a final stop, if the preceding vowel was lax [ɪ ɛ ʌ]
- /tʌʃik/ 'deny' → [tʌʒɪk]
Palatalization
/t/ changes to [t͡s ~ t͡ʃ] before /j/ or front vowels, and /j/ deletes after palatalized sounds:
- /t/ → [t͡s] before /i ɛ/
- /tɛmbä/ → [t͡sɛmbä]
- /rʊti/ 'island' → [rʊt͡si]
- /tɛmbä/ → [t͡sɛmbä]
- /tj/ → [t͡ʃ]
- /tjan/ 'bite' → [t͡ʃän]
- CV(C) is highly preferred and reflects most syllables.
- Initial C is mandatory.
- Some lexemes may lack initial C in underlying form but present with /ʔ-/.
- Clicks and <tl> may only appear word-initially (or stem-initially).
- Some lexemes may lack initial C in underlying form but present with /ʔ-/.
- Consonant clusters are a maximum of 2-3 consonants.
- Word-initially, clusters can be ʔCC or CC.
- At syllable boundaries, CCC can form.
- Even at syllable boundaries, geminates are not permitted.
- In codas, CC is greatest size.
- Even at syllable boundaries, geminates are not permitted.
- Illegal clusters (4+) are broken up by epenthetic vowels at the syllable break.
- /u/ is inserted before labials
- /i/ is inserted before alveolars and palatals/postalveolars, except /r/.
- /ä/ is inserted elsewhere.
- /u/ is inserted before labials
- Word-initially, clusters can be ʔCC or CC.
- Excluding phonemic diphthongs, hiatus is disrupted.
- If /i/ is involved, it becomes /j/.
- If there is no /i/ in the cluster, /x/ is inserted between the vowels.
- If /i/ is involved, it becomes /j/.
Permitted initial clusters
- Nasal + stop
- Homorganic: mb, mp ; nt, nd ; ŋk ; ŋq
- Other: mt
- Homorganic: mb, mp ; nt, nd ; ŋk ; ŋq
- Obstruent + liquid
- Homorganic: tr, sr ; ʃr, ʃj, d͡ʒr
- Other: br, pr, kl
- note: initial /tl/ has become the phoneme /ɺˀ/
- Homorganic: tr, sr ; ʃr, ʃj, d͡ʒr
- /ʔ/ + anything one thing, in any order
- ht, bh, rh, etc
- /ʔ/ + NP, e.g. hnt, hmb ; but not other orders
- ht, bh, rh, etc
- /s/ after any one other nasal or stop
- ts, ns, ks, ms, etc
Permitted final clusters
- /m/ or homorganic nasal + stop
- fricative or liquid + stop
- stop + /s/
- /s/ or /ʃ/ + nasal or stop
Stress is typically trochaic, with the rightmost foot holding primary stress. However, there are several exceptions:
- The pharyngeal fricative /x/ casts stress on syllables it begins.
- kaxá, xáxa, kàšixá
- kaxá, xáxa, kàšixá
- Coda nasals and liquids (non-clustered) are weighted.
- kási, kasín
- kási, kasín
- Rule #2 can cause the stress of the entire word to shift to iambic.
- tàsunlíta, karìmatál
- tàsunlíta, karìmatál
- Rule #2 takes precedence over #1, but #1 still causes secondary stress and disrupts #3.
- xàsín, xàlasín, xàtuyasín
- xàsín, xàlasín, xàtuyasín
✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
Comments