USAGE: Authoritative Early Lahabic Phonology

Here is the authoritative Early Lahabic phonology, with allophones and
basic transliteration. The Gweinic rules of root formation still hold.
Transcription
I.Consonants
A. Stops
1. Labials
p=[p]-plain voiceless bilabial stop
ph=[p<h>]-aspirated voiceless bilabial stop
py=[p^]-palatalized voiceless bilabial stop
b=[b]-plain voiced bilabial stop
bh=[b<h>]-aspirated voiced bilabial stop
by=[b^]-palatalized voiced bilabial stop
bw=[b<w>]-labiovelarized voiced bilabial stop
2. Dental and Alveolars
t=[t[, t]-plain voiceless dental or alveolar stop
th=[t[<h>, t<h>]-aspirated voiceless dental or alveolar stop
ty=[t[^]-palatalized voiceless dental stop
d=[d[, d]-plain voiced dental or alveolar stop
dh=[d[<h>, d<h>]-aspirated voiced dental or alveolar stop
dy=[d[^]-palatalized voiced dental stop
dw=[d<w>]-labiovelarized voiced alveolar stop
Dental stops become alveolars before back vowels o and u. Palatalization and
labiovelarization interfere with this process. Palatalization negates its
and labiovelarization mandates it.
3. Velars
k=[k]-plain voiceless velar stop
kh=[k<h>]-aspirated voiceless velar stop
ky=[k^]-palatalized voiceless velar stop
kw=[k<w>]-labiovelarized voiceless velar stop
g=[g]-plain voiced velar stop
gh=[g<h>]-aspirated voiced velar stop
gy=[g^]-palatalized voiced velar stop
gw=[g<w>]-labiovelarized voiced velar stop
B. Nasals
m=[m,m<vls>,n,n[<vls>,N,N<vls>]- labial nasal
n=[n,n[<vls>,m,m<vls>,N,N<vls>]- dental and alveolar nasal
Nasals assume the same point of articulation as a following stop or
nasal and assume the voice of a following stop. For the change from a dental
nasal to an alveolar nasal, see A.2 above.
C. Others
1. Laterals
l=[l[,l]
See A.2 above
2. Approximants
r=[r[,r]-voiced dental and alveolar approximant
j=[j]-voiced palatal approximant
w=[w]-voiced labiovelar approximant
h=[h]-voiced glottal approximant.
See A.2
3. Fricatives
z(formerly s)=[D,T,z]-dental and alveolar fricative
For D>Z see A.2. For D>T see B.
II. Vowels
A. Simple Vowels
a=[a] low central unrounded vowel
e=[e] uppermid front unrounded vowel. [e] becomes the lowmid front unrounded
vowel [E] in unstressed positions.
o=[o] uppermid back rounded vowel. [o] becomes the lowmid back rounded vowel
[O] in unstressed positions.
i=[i] high front unrounded vowel. [i] becomes the semihigh front unrounded
vowel [I] in unstressed positions.
u=[u] high back rounded vowel. [u] becomes the semihigh back rounded vowel
[U] in unstressed positions.
Long vowels are indicated by gemination.
B. Diphthongs
Diphthongs are always long. The second form is used in unstressed
positions.
ai=[aj]
au=[aw]
ei=[ej,Ej]
eu=[ew,Ew]
oi=[oj,Oj]
ou=[ow,Ow]
III. Transliteration Differences from Classical Labic
Classical Labic has almost the same sounds, with the following
differences:
1. ou [ow,Ow] has become [u:], u has become [y]. ei [ej,Ej] has been
transferred to secondary [ej] (note that this does not include [Ej]) because
primary [ej,Ej] has become [e:,E:]
2. Due to the influence of Maradic loanwords, the single phoneme z
[D, T, z] becomes the two phonemes z [D,T] and s [z].
3. h disappears as an independent phoneme.
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