Ihlleng: Difference between revisions
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=== Vowels === | === Vowels === | ||
There are | There are 5 phonemic vowel qualities /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/ and /u/. There are 6 diphthongs: /ai/, /au/, /ei/, /ou/, /eu/ and /ou/. However, in word final position, /ei/ and /ou/ cannot occur. | ||
In stressed syllables, all vowels and diphthongs contrast for length except /ei/ and /ou/. | |||
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# Voiceless Stop + Voiceless Stop (rare) e.g. /ktaˈnaːi/ - dirty | # Voiceless Stop + Voiceless Stop (rare) e.g. /ktaˈnaːi/ - dirty | ||
# Voiceless Stop + Voiceless Fricative e.g. /ˈtxipːa/ - intestine | # Voiceless Stop + Voiceless Fricative e.g. /ˈtxipːa/ - intestine | ||
# Obstruent + Approximant e.g. / | # Obstruent + Approximant e.g. /ˈgjuːb/ - world | ||
# Nasal + Semivowel (/j/ or /w/) e.g. / | # Nasal + Semivowel (/j/ or /w/) e.g. /ˈmjuːzjik/ - music | ||
/ŋ/ and /x/ cannot be followed by /j/. | /ŋ/ and /x/ cannot be followed by /j/. | ||
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====Coda Consonants==== | ====Coda Consonants==== | ||
At the end of words, any nasal or obstruent can appear in a coda (other than /h/). However, elsewhere, the only possible coda consonant is a nasal, than must be homorganic with the following consonant e.g. the first person masculine singular present involitional is marked by the circumfix / | At the end of words, any nasal or obstruent can appear in a coda (other than /h/). However, elsewhere, the only possible coda consonant is a nasal, than must be homorganic with the following consonant e.g. the first person masculine singular present involitional is marked by the circumfix /um/ ... /di/. But when this is added to the verb stem /ˈhleipjeŋ/ - to sleep, the result is /unˈhleipjendi/ - I (masculine) sleep (involuntarily), with the /m/ and the /ŋ/ assimilating to /n/. | ||
====Restrictions on /h/==== | ====Restrictions on /h/==== | ||
Only one instance of /h/ is allowed in a word. For example, the 3rd person masculine plural present involitional is marked by the circumfix /hja/ ... / | Only one instance of /h/ is allowed in a word. For example, the 3rd person masculine plural present involitional is marked by the circumfix /hja/ ... /di/. But when this is added to a verb root such as /ˈhleipjeŋ/ - to sleep, then the initial /h/ is lost, yielding /jaˈhleipjendi/ - they (masculine) sleep (involuntarily). | ||
===Suprasegmentals=== | ===Suprasegmentals=== | ||
One syllable in each word is stressed. Each stressed syllable either has a long vowel (e.g. / | One syllable in each word is stressed. Each stressed syllable either has a long vowel (e.g. /ˈmjuːzjik/ - music), or geminates the consonant or consonant cluster after it (e.g. /ˈihlːeŋ/ - Illheng). | ||
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/baˈnaː/ - banana -> /baˈnaːna/ - bananas | /baˈnaː/ - banana -> /baˈnaːna/ - bananas | ||
/ | /ˈwindːu/ - wind -> /ˈwindːuwin/ - winds | ||
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/ˈmadːle/ - mother -> /ˈmadːlemad/ - mothers | /ˈmadːle/ - mother -> /ˈmadːlemad/ - mothers | ||
However, if the reduplication would cause an illegal consonant cluster, the second member of the clusters is deleted e.g. | However, if the reduplication would cause an illegal consonant cluster, the second member of the clusters is deleted e.g. | ||
/ | /ˈgjuːb/ - world -> /ˈgjuːbjub/ - worlds (not */ˈgjuːbgjub/) | ||
/ | /ˈzwebːjit/ - rabbit -> /ˈzwebːjitweb/ - rabbits (not */ˈzwebːjitzweb/) | ||
/ˈzwekːod/ - record -> /ˈzwekːodwek/ - records (not */ˈzwekːodzwek/) | /ˈzwekːod/ - record -> /ˈzwekːodwek/ - records (not */ˈzwekːodzwek/) | ||
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If the reduplication would create a word that ends in /l/, then the final /l/ is deleted e.g. | If the reduplication would create a word that ends in /l/, then the final /l/ is deleted e.g. | ||
/ | /osjiˈbolːji/ - hand towel -> /osjiˈbolːjibo/ (not */osjiˈbolːjibol/) | ||
If the reduplication involves duplicating a /h/ phoneme, then the /h/ phoneme in the root is deleted. This is due to the restriction that only one /h/ phoneme is allowed in a word. e.g. | If the reduplication involves duplicating a /h/ phoneme, then the /h/ phoneme in the root is deleted. This is due to the restriction that only one /h/ phoneme is allowed in a word. e.g. | ||
/ | /ˈhunːe/ - bone -> /ˈunːehun/ - bones (not */ˈhunːehun/) | ||
/ | /ˈthetːso/ - test -> /ˈtetːsothet/ - tests (not */ˈthetːsothet/) | ||
/ | /ˈhjuːka/ - mark / grade / score -> /ˈjuːkahjuk/ - marks / grades / scores (not */ˈhjuːkahjuk/) | ||
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If the noun root ends with a nasal, then it assimilates to the place of articulation of any following consonant in the reduplication e.g. | If the noun root ends with a nasal, then it assimilates to the place of articulation of any following consonant in the reduplication e.g. | ||
/ | /aˈlaːm/ - booby trap -> /aˈlaːnlam/ - booby traps (not */aˈlaːmlam/) | ||
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If the stressed syllable is an initial syllable without an onset consonant, then there is a possibility of the reduplication forming diphthongs e.g. | If the stressed syllable is an initial syllable without an onset consonant, then there is a possibility of the reduplication forming diphthongs /ai/, /au/, /eu/ or /oi/ e.g. | ||
/ˈunːja/ - fingernail -> /ˈunːjaun/ - fingernails | /ˈunːja/ - fingernail -> /ˈunːjaun/ - fingernails | ||
/ˈimːa/ - moment -> /ˈimːaim/ - moments | /ˈimːa/ - moment -> /ˈimːaim/ - moments | ||
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If | If one of the above four diphthongs cannot be formed, then some kind of contraction occurs. If the two vowels are identical, then they contract to one vowel e.g. | ||
/ˈotːxo/ - other -> /ˈotːxot/ - others | /ˈotːxo/ - other -> /ˈotːxot/ - others | ||
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/ˈasːa/ - morning -> /ˈasːas/ - mornings | /ˈasːa/ - morning -> /ˈasːas/ - mornings | ||
/ | Likewise /e/ + /i/ contracts to /i/, and /o/ + /u/ contracts to /u/ e.g. | ||
/ | /ˈumːo/ - fume -> /ˈumːum/ - fumes (not */ˈumːoum/) | ||
If the two vowels are | If the two vowels are not identical, but are both front vowels or both back vowels, then they contract to give /ei/ and /ou/ respectively e.g. | ||
/ | /ˈembːa/ - ember -> /ˈembeim/ - embers (not */ˈembːaem/) | ||
/ˈeːŋka/ - anchor -> /ˈeːŋkeiŋ/ - anchors (not */eːŋkaeŋ/) | |||
/ˈoːna/ - achievement -> /ˈoːnoun/ - achievements (not */ˈoːnaon/) | |||
If other illegal vowel sequences are formed, the first member of them is deleted e.g. | |||
/ˈasːji/ - leg -> /ˈasːjas/ - legs (not */ˈasːjias/) | |||
/ | /ˈiŋkːwu/ - ink -> /ˈiŋkːwiŋ/ - inks (not */ˈiŋkːwuiŋ/ | ||
/ | /ˈonːlwe/ - man -> /ˈonːlwon/ - men | ||
/ | /ˈantːju/ - wilderness -> /ˈantːjan/ - wildernesses | ||
If the stressed syllable contains long /eː/ or /oː/ followed by a consonant, then they become /ei/ and /ou/ in the reduplication e.g. | |||
/ | /ˈmeːdjik/ - spell (magic) -> /ˈmeːdjikeid/ - spells (not */ˈmeːdjiked/) | ||
/ | /ˈeːnto/ - ant -> /ˈeːntwein/ - ants (not */ˈeːntwen/) | ||
/ˈboːtan/ - button -> /ˈboːtambout/ - buttons (not */ˈboːtambot/) | |||
The reason for this irregularity is that, in an earlier stage of the language, Ihlleng also had the vowel phonemes /ɛi/ and /ɔu/. However, these phonemes underwent a split. In stressed syllables, they became /eː/ and /oː/. Elsewhere, they became /ei/ and /ou/. So in reduplications, they became different vowels. | |||
The only exception to the above irregularity is if the stressed syllable has an alveolar stop (t or d) in the onset. In this case, the vowel is reduplicated as /o/ e.g. | |||
/ˈdoːkta/ - doctor -> /ˈdoːktaˈdok/ - doctors | |||
The reason for this is that there was another sound change that applied to */ɛi/ and */ɔu/, that was triggered by a preceding alveolar stop. | |||
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/x/ and /h/ both lenit to /b/ e.g. | /x/ and /h/ both lenit to /b/ e.g. | ||
/ | /sjiŋˈxilːo/ - club (weapon) -> /sjiŋˈxilːobi/ - clubs (weapon) | ||
However, voiceless obstruents do not undergo lenition if there is another voiced obstruent nearby (separated by nothing more than sonorants) e.g. | However, voiceless obstruents do not undergo lenition if there is another voiced obstruent nearby (separated by nothing more than sonorants) e.g. | ||
/ | /ˈsuːdja/ - soldier -> /ˈsuːdːjasud/ - soldiers (not */ˈsuːdjazud/) | ||
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[[Category:Ihlleng]] | |||