Re: Conlang with whistles

 --- 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




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