Re: Vowel-echo (was: Re: Drughu and Rokbeigalm)

On Fri, 27 Dec 2002 16:00:59 +0100 Daniel Andreasson Vpc-Work
<daniel.andreasson@...> writes:
> Steg Belsky wrote:
> > gorgû = orcs (from |gorgu+u| by vowel-echo)
> Vowel-echo? Is that some sort of reduplication? I have
> a similar form of vowel-lengthening at the end of words
> to mark the patient case in my new conlang.
-

I guess it is, i just didn't think of the term; and this kind of
reduplication is limited to vowels.  The example of |gorgû| is actually
abnormal - the basic form would be something like:
|orduzâšt| "forest" ~ |orduzašta| "forests"
|zek| "fire" ~ |zeke| "fires"
The final vowel of the word copies itself on the other side of the last
consonant, and if the original vowel was long, both new ones are short.
Since |gorgu| "orc" ends in a vowel, the reduplicated |u| has only empty
space to jump over, and it merges with the original |u| it was echoed
from, making a long vowel |û|.

> I also have reduplication at the beginning of words to
> mark the plural. Not very original, I know...
> Examples:
> piata    'dog'
> piataa   'dog:PAT'
> pipiata  'dogs'
> pipiataa 'dogs:PAT'
> Daniel Andreasson
-

Are the final |-aa|'s pronounced as two separate vowels, or as one long
one?


-Stephen (Steg)
 "Beornings speak with a Lithuanian accent?!"

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