Vethari: Difference between revisions
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Consonant clusters are permitted in onset position, but are subject to strict rules. Common onset clusters include stop + glide (e.g., /pj/, /kj/, /gj/) and stop + lateral (e.g., /pl/, /kl/, /bl/), though not all combinations are allowed. Retroflex and velarized consonants almost never appear in clusters, and instead tend to occur in singleton positions. Clusters in coda position are extremely limited and generally dispreferred; most codas contain a single nasal (/n/, /ɲ/, /ɳ/) or a stop (/p/, /t/, /k/). | Consonant clusters are permitted in onset position, but are subject to strict rules. Common onset clusters include stop + glide (e.g., /pj/, /kj/, /gj/) and stop + lateral (e.g., /pl/, /kl/, /bl/), though not all combinations are allowed. Retroflex and velarized consonants almost never appear in clusters, and instead tend to occur in singleton positions. Clusters in coda position are extremely limited and generally dispreferred; most codas contain a single nasal (/n/, /ɲ/, /ɳ/) or a stop (/p/, /t/, /k/). | ||
Some diphthongs are not phonemic in this language; sequences like /ai/, /ei/, or /au/ are analyzed as separate syllables, often broken by a glide or a consonantal transition. The vowel system distinguishes between front (/i/, /e/), central (/ə/, /a/), and back vowels (/u/, /o/, /ɔ/, /ɒ/, /ʏ/, /ɯ/), each with clear distributional tendencies. Rounded front vowels like /ʏ/ occur primarily in closed syllables or as part of morphological alternations. The high back unrounded vowel /ɯ/ is restricted to unstressed syllables or function words. | |||
Velarized consonants such as /pˠ/, /tˠ/, /kˠ/, /ʈˠ/, and /ʂˠ/ never occur next to front vowels like /i/ or /e/. They prefer low and back vowels, such as /ɒ/, /ɔ/, or /ɯ/, reflecting articulatory harmony. Their distribution is also limited by stress and syllable weight; for instance, velarized consonants often appear in stressed root syllables or as markers of emphasis. Retroflex segments—particularly /ʈ/, /ɖ/, /ɳ/, and /ɭ/—tend to be root-internal and are rarely found in affixes, which are more likely to contain plain coronal or palatal consonants. | Velarized consonants such as /pˠ/, /tˠ/, /kˠ/, /ʈˠ/, and /ʂˠ/ never occur next to front vowels like /i/ or /e/. They prefer low and back vowels, such as /ɒ/, /ɔ/, or /ɯ/, reflecting articulatory harmony. Their distribution is also limited by stress and syllable weight; for instance, velarized consonants often appear in stressed root syllables or as markers of emphasis. Retroflex segments—particularly /ʈ/, /ɖ/, /ɳ/, and /ɭ/—tend to be root-internal and are rarely found in affixes, which are more likely to contain plain coronal or palatal consonants. | ||
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Stress interacts with phonotactics by allowing heavier or more marked consonants in stressed syllables. For example, velarized and retroflex consonants are favored in stressed roots, while palatals and glides dominate in unstressed affixes. Final syllables are stressed when closed by a consonant or contain a lower vowel like /ɒ/ or /ɔ/, while otherwise, penultimate stress is the norm. Vowel reduction does not occur dramatically, but centralization of high vowels to /ə/ is attested in fast speech, particularly in grammatical endings. Words cannot end in consonants, and also, there aren’t geminated consonants. | Stress interacts with phonotactics by allowing heavier or more marked consonants in stressed syllables. For example, velarized and retroflex consonants are favored in stressed roots, while palatals and glides dominate in unstressed affixes. Final syllables are stressed when closed by a consonant or contain a lower vowel like /ɒ/ or /ɔ/, while otherwise, penultimate stress is the norm. Vowel reduction does not occur dramatically, but centralization of high vowels to /ə/ is attested in fast speech, particularly in grammatical endings. Words cannot end in consonants, and also, there aren’t geminated consonants. | ||
=== Prosody === | === Prosody === | ||
==== Rhythm, Intonation and Stress ==== | ==== Rhythm, Intonation and Stress ==== | ||