Nandlaban tone workbook: view article

Showcasing paradigms

This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 2 Feb 2019, 10:50.

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Menu 1. Rules of Tone 2. Tone applier script 3. Nouns 4. Verbs

Welcome to the tonal weirdnesses of

Nandlaban!

[edit] [top]Rules of Tone

Underlying tones spread right onto toneless syllables. Underlying HH sequences are realized with a downstep before the second. underlying LL sequences are realized with all contiguous L after the first as a mid tone. Any toneless syllables after the LL sequence are realized with low tone.

A HH assigned to a single syllable tries to move the second H right onto a toneless syllable, but if there's none, the HH is realized as a regular high tone. The same thing applies to LL sequences, which are realized as plain low tones if there's no toneless syllable right. Toneless syllables are default realized as mid tone.

[edit] [top]Tone applier script

Thanks to @[Deactivated User], there is now a Python script which you can use to apply tones to vowels! (CWS can't handle spacing apparently so I used a % in place of each tab.)

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[edit] [top]Nouns

Definiteness is indicated by a floating high tone at the beginning of the noun, and the accusative by a floating low tone at the end of the noun.

Toneless nouns

plan 'mountain'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[plə̄n]	[plə́n]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[plə̀n]	[plə̂n]

nuphul 'water'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[nūphōl]	[núphól]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[nūphòl]	[núphòl]

lankahnu 'basket'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[də̄ŋgə̄ʔnū]	[də́ŋgə́ʔnú]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[də̄ŋgə̄ʔnù]	[də́ŋgə́ʔnù]

High-tone-first nouns

lpá 'hand'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[ɬpɑ́]	[ɬpɑ́]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[ɬpɑ̂]	[ɬpɑ̂]

lpá-lpá 'a few hands'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[ɬpə́ɬ↓pɑ́]	[ɬpə́ɬ↓pɑ́]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[ɬpə́ɬ↓pɑ̂]	[ɬpə́ɬ↓pɑ̂]

pénlak 'house'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[pýndlə́k]	[pýn↓dlǝ́k]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[pýndlə̀k]	[pýndlə̀k]

High-tone-later nouns

nulpé 'path'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[nōɬpý]	[nóɬ↓pý]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[nóɬpỳ]	[nóɬpŷ]

kakulké 'necklace'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[kɑ̄kōɬké]	[kɑ́kóɬké]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[kɑ̄kóɬkè]	[kɑ́kóɬkè]

Low-tone-first nouns

nkù 'head'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[ŋgù]	[ŋgû]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[ŋgù]	[ŋgû]

nkù-nkù 'a few heads'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[ŋgòŋgū]	[ŋgôŋgū]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[ŋgùŋgū]	[ŋgôŋgū]

nàlnunku 'spider'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[nə̀lnòŋgù]	[nə́lnòŋgù]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[nə̀lnòŋgù]	[nə́lnòŋgū]

plàpàhkun 'person who tracks small prey alone'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[plɑ̀bə̄ʔkòŋ]	[plɑ́bə̀ʔkōŋ]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[plɑ̀bə̄ʔkōŋ]	[plɑ̂bə̄ʔkōŋ]

Low-tone-later nouns

lahnkè 'elderly person'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[də̄ʔŋgè]	[də́ʔŋgè]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[də̀ʔŋgē]	[də́ʔŋgè]

ahaklù 'type of small green bird'
	INDEFIndefinite a nonspecific referent	DEFDefinite "the"
NOMNominative (case) TRANS subject, INTR argument	[ɑ̄hə̄klù]	[ɑ́hə́klù]
ACCAccusative (case) TRANS direct object; patient	[ɑ̄hə̀klū]	[ɑ́hə̀klū]

[edit] [top]Verbs

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