Re: Phonology sketch

Hi!

John Vertical writes:
> With all the overall phonology discussion goïng on, here's one I've
> started recently. Comments welcome, altho it's pretty unfinished. I'm
> posting this more to show my working techniq.
>
> Onsets:
> /p p_l t t_w tK  tS tS_w k k_w/
> /b b_l d d_w dK\ dZ dZ_w g g_w/
> /P P_l T T_w s s_w K h/
> /m m_l n n_w  n_l/
I like the design.  Especially when comparing with some Salishan
languages, is does not feel at all far-fetched -- the lateralisation
is a nice extension.  Have you considered adding ejectives and/or
uvulars?  It would fit, I think, again with Salishan languages in
mind. :-)

>...
> I'm also thinking a third stop series might fit in, but I can't think
> what it could be. Hmong has prenasalization, but I'm not trying to
> make a clone of it. Ejectivs don't feel like they'd fit well together
> with lateralization,
>...
Ah, you have.  Why not?  I can pronounce it and the ejective lateral
affricate /tK)_>/ at least is quite common. :-)

As to prenasalisation, I am very fond of it as an allophonic variant
of voiced stops.  I think Hakka has it, I'm not completely sure; it
was a Chinese language on Taiwan, IIRC.  I got the idea from there and
implemented it in Qþyn|gài (S7), which has /t/ [t] vs /d/ [nd]
etc. (also for its clicks).  (BTW, it also has lateralistion, but for
/t/ and /q/ and realised as [tK] vs. /qK/).  S7 does not include many
clusters, but in the current sketch of S11, the same contrast exists
and the prenasalisation is lost when another consonant precedes, so
/aba/ [amba] vs. /alba/ [alba].

Just a though...

**Henrik