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Tech vowels and umlaut

From:Danny Wier <dawier@...>
Date:Monday, April 7, 2003, 1:01
Okay, I got consonants done after literally years of bellyaching. I'm also
sure of vowels, except I'm wondering about V+j and V+w sequences and how
they are reflexed -- the so-called "umlaut" vowels.

First, there are six basic vowels in Tech, all short

i @ u
E a O

The two rows are "high-grade" and "low-grade" ablauts of three original
phonemes, which are the core vowels of lexical roots of the form CVC(C) and
particles which are CV.

These vowels are subject to reduction to either a colored schwa (in the case
of laryngeals) or zero with residual palatization or labialization of the
preceding consonant.

These six vowels become diphthongs or long vowels when followed by /j/ or
/w/, which may become monophthongs in some cases:

ij > i:
Ej > e:
aj > ae > {:
Oj > oe > 2:
uj > ui > y:
aw > ao > Q:
ow > o:
uw > u:

I'm still unsure about how @j, iw, @w and Ew will be changed.

Also, all the six short vowels may be lenghtened, nasalized or
pharyngealized when followed by consonants like /?/, /h/, /m/, /n/, /?\/,
/X\/, especially word-finally.

I'm starting the vocabulary now, at last.

~Danny~ (who can't type worth a shut)

"Of course the people don't want war... the people can always be brought to
the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them
they're being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism...
it works the same in any country." -- Hermann Wilhelm Göring (1893-1946)

Reply

Danny Wier <dawier@...>