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Re: Conlang with whistles

From:Rachel Klippenstein <estel_telcontar@...>
Date:Thursday, February 20, 2003, 20:51
 --- Paul Roser <pkroser@...> wrote: > On Sun,
16 Feb 2003 20:31:10 -0500, Rachel
> Klippenstein > <estel_telcontar@...> wrote: > > >Hi out there, > > > >I came up with a neat idea for a new conlang the > other > >day. This one is spoken on an island inhabited by > two > >thinking, speaking species: humans, and a type of > >birds called in this language "WiSiWiSi".
Actually, I goofed. They're called WiSaWiSa (plural form of WiSa by reduplication. It's a noun, so it has to end in a.)
> >Here is a description of the main dialect: > > > >Consonants > >three stops: p, t, k > >two normal continuants: w, s > >two whistled continuants: W and S > > > >W is a "typical" labial whistle, and S is an > alveolar > >whistle. > > I've played around with the idea of whistles in > conlangs > for a while, and usually consider there to be three > or > four possibilities: > 1) labial (though all of my whistles involve > rounding) > 2) retroflexed (probably equal to your alveolar) > 3) front trilled (superimpose an alveolar trill on > the whistle) > 4) back trilled (superimpose a uvular trill on the > whistle)
I'm pretty sure my alveolar whistle is different from your retroflexed whistle. It doesn't involve lip rounding, and the tongue position is definitely not retroflex. If I try to make it and miss slightly, it sounds like a slightly sharpish s. If anything, the tongue position is more forward, dental-ish than normal alveolar, because when I look in the mirror, I can see my tongue more when I'm making my whistle than when I'm making s. I'd love to incorporate other whistles, but I have to figure out how to make them and then make them in syllables first. I want to be able to pronounce this language. I can't do a uvular trill yet, so the back trilled whistle is out. I think with practice I could develop the front trilled whistle. In your retroflexed whistle, is the whistle actually produced at the retroflex articulation, with lip rounding being secondary? or is it the other way round? I'm also trying to develop a palatal whistle, very close in articulation to a palatal fricative. I can currently get a very faint one, but if I can get a more consistent, audible one I'm going to use it as well as either a palatal fricative or glide. I also came up with some sentences in this language. Here they are: kwipakwipa kWu psiWu pitapita house-PL.REDUP in sleep human-PL.REDUP “humans sleep in houses” tWuksatWuksa kWu psiWu WiSaWiSa tree-PL.REDUP. in sleep WiSa-PL.REDUP “WiSaWiSa sleep in trees” tWuksa kWu psiWu kwi sa tree in sleep not I “I do not sleep in a tree” Note OVS word order, postposition, negation immediately following verb, reduplified forms for plurals Rachel Klippenstein ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

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Jan van Steenbergen <ijzeren_jan@...>