Re: THEORY: Semivowels

On Wed, 8 Sep 1999, Nik Taylor wrote:

> Hmm, interesting.  Japanese also does that, but I've never been a big
> fan of voiceless vowels, since I have trouble distinguishing them, but
> to each his own.
>
        You know, I didn't either until I saw the allophonic variation
that I described below -- I took one look at it and said, "This must go
into Doraya." :)

> >         _tye'eska_ 'have put up for the night' [tje:ska] -> _tyehska_
> > [tje_0ska]
>
> Why write -h after the vowel, if the devoicing is predictable?
>
        (amend the above to [tj_0e_0ska], btw -- the glide would become
voiceless as well)

        I was thinking ahead to my transcription of the script adapted
to write this language.  But you're right, it probably shouldn't be
represented directly in the orthography -- it's more just an easy way
for me to tell the difference between Doraya words and those of this
particular variant.  (Plus, it looks neat.)

> >         _tyehska_ [tje_0ska] -> _tshska_ [tSska]
> >         _sehkehs_ [se_0ke_0s] -> _sks_ [sks]
>
> Hmm, well, I don't think that [sks] could be possible, I think that a
> vowel would have to find its way in there, perhaps as [ske_0s] or an
> epenthetic vowel or something.
>
        Probably, yeah.  In cases like this where the resulting
reduction lacks a really syllabic core, there'd probably be an
epenthetic voiceless schwa, giving [sk@_0s].  Or something like that.
Some other phonological rule may pop up that takes care of this problem
for me.  Still, perhaps only for the reason that it's bizarre, having
_sks_ for a word appeals to me.

> Of course, it would mean that only voiceless consonants
> could form clusters.
>
        Not necessarily.  Like I said, there's more allophonic variation
where that came from.  The game has barely started. :)

Later,
Adam
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