Re: yet another new lang sketch (sorry) [ + pitch-stress, + Welsh]

>From: FFlores <fflores@...>
>
>(snipped bits)
>
> > Phonology
>
> > fric-           dental  s
> > atives         alveolar x /S/
> >                 glottal h
>
>What exactly is <s>? Is it like English <th>? The common
>use of <s> is for the *alveolar* fricative. (And /S/ is
>postalveolar, not alveolar.)
You're right! s = alveolar, x = post-alveolar.
>
> > liquids        alveolar
> >              /palatal   l
>
>How do you pronounce this <l>?
I suppose I don't quite know the technical description. Not being able to
hear the differeence between the English allophones of /l/, I would say
mostly like English.


>
>I like pitch accent too, but I can't tell you if your system is
>natural or not. However, I noticed that you have marked high and
>low pitch, but some syllables are unmarked, so you actually have
>three level tones (assuming unmarked is 'middle' pitch?). Is that
>what you wanted?
Yes.
>
>BTW, for anyone who knows, what's the difference between a pitch
>accent system and a tone system? Predictiveness?
>
>I'm using a mixed system for Wamen, my latest conlang. Stressed
>monosyllables (generally non-grammatical words) are high pitch;
>longer words are stressed in the first syllable, and all syllables
>but the last are low pitched. The last syllable is high. I took
>the idea from Welsh, of which I've read (someone correct if I'm
>wrong) that it's quite rare for the fact that the pitch of syllables
>rises *after* the stress (while in all languages I've heard,
>stressed syllables tend to be higher).
>
>
>
> > Verbs
> >
> > Two types. One has only one stem, the lexical (infinitive). Mostly
> > monosyllables. The other has a present/future stem  ending in a vowel
>(the
> > lexical form), and a past stem formed by dropping the final vowels.
> >
> > ex.     one stem-       wa'a to cover
> >         two stems-      nasinai to be present
> >                         nasin to have been present
>
>I like that! Do any vowels or vowel clusters drop the same way?
thank you, and Yes.
>FWIW, I'd describe the present/future stem as an extension of the
>past stem, instead of the other way round. Otherwise, one might
>think that two present/future stems differring only in the final
>vowel(s) could give two identical past stems when dropping them.
>Or is that the case?
It may be. I tried to set up the derivation system so that that would be
uncommon, but still possible. It adds and hint of irregularity, don't you
think? But good point. I'll think about it.
>
>
> > aspect infixes - fall after the initial consonant of the verb
>
>Ooh, I love infixes!
>
>
> > nominal stems
> > final vowel > 0
> > final l > r
> > final k > h
> > final t > s
> > final n > no change
> > greater than 3 syllbles, drop final syllable
>
>Sorry, I'm lost. What does this mean? When does this change
>happen?
The nominative singular form of the noun "mutates" (probably not the correct
term) slightly before taking case endings.
>
>
> > part.           -ia                     -i
>
>What is this part.? And rel.? I think you told us about this
>before, but I can't find the post.
>
Partitive and relative (ergative/genitive).


Jennifer

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