Re: CHAT: minimum phonemes, was Re: vrindo

Paul Bennett wrote:
> This is all off the top of my head, but IIRC Hawaiian has 7C and 5V
> (plus length distinction in vowels), something like:
>=20
> h k p l ' w n
> a e i o u
There's also m, and diphthongs, which are, I THINK, ai, au, ei, ou, with
length distinction.  I may be mistaken on the diphthongs, tho.

Hawaiian has the smallest number of possible syllables, incidentally,
just 162, IIRC, only CV syllables (which would make sense, (8 consonants
+ 1 [for no consonant]) * (5V+4D)(2 [length]) =3D 9*9*2 =3D 162

My very first phonology for what was then provisionally called 1998A
(now Watakass=ED) was:
p  t  k
   s
   n
w   y

i    u
  a
+length distinctions

And syllables could only end with n or s or no consonant, thus
(7+1)(6)(2+1) =3D 144 possible syllables, even fewer than Hawaiian, quite
intentionally.

Modern Watakass=ED has many more syllables possible, I'm not sure how
many, tho, since the syllable-constraints are kinda complicated.

Incidentally, here's the history of the name, as far as I can recall:
1998A
W'-ansan-sanu
Wansansanu'
Watya'yai`sa
Watya'i`sa
Watya'i'sa
Watakassi'
(Notice the consistency of initial wa-)
--=20
Yaw=EDntasva natab=ED, plan saf=ED nlak=FAsi
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