Re: vowel scheme for new language

At 09:00 20/05/99 +0200, you wrote:
>dunn patrick w wrote:
>>> On Wed, 19 May 1999, dunn patrick w wrote:
>>>
>>> > Does this sound like a plausible vowel scheme?
>>> >
>>> > a -- low back
>>> > e -- mid front
>>> > i -- high front
>>> > o -- round low back
>>> > u -- round mid front
>>>
>>> If by "plausible" you mean "likely to occur in natural
>languages",
>>> I would have to say no.  Human languages prefer to have
>'balanced'
>>> vowel systems, e.g.:
>>
>>--snip--
>>
>>Well, that looks like a general consensus of "no way".  Hrmm.  I
>noticed a
>>tendency of it to run away from me anyway.  That damned /i/
>insisted on
>>showing up.
>>
>>> Or:     i     u
>>>          e   o
>>>            a
>>
>>What's a pity is I like this vowel scheme.  Always have.  But I'd
>*hate*
>>to use it since it's so damned common.  Conlang guilt, you know?
>>
>Since triangular vowel systems are quite common among conlangers,
>why not work on a quadrangular vowel system instead? That is, a
>system where there are just as many back vowels as front, and where
>there are two low (open) vowels. In this way, you can have a rounded
>vowel for every front - just like your proposed system. But unlike
>your proposed system, the rounded ones would have to be back as
>well, of course, to keep it naturalistic. Below are two examples:
>
>  i     u
>   e   o
>    a Q
>
        That's exactly the system I use for Tj'a-ts'a~n (where /a/ is noted 'a and
/Q/ is noted a and is rounded). I use it because Tj'a-ts'a~n has vowel
harmony front unrounded<->back rounded.

>
>or
>
>
>  i     u
>  e     o
>   E   O
>    a Q
>
>[where Q represents a low back vowel]
>
        Unround the /Q/, add three central vowels (o-slash, oe-ligature and
inverted e - I don't know the ASCII IPA for them-) and you'll have the oral
vowel system of French (at least 10 to 15 years ago. Now /Q/ and /a/ have
fusionned). Is French an 'exotic' language? :)

>Both of the above examples can be augmented by adding a schwa /@/
>and/or a few front rounded vowels. French is an example of a
>language with a quadrangular system with a few front rounded vowels
>(and some nasalized).
>
>Just a suggestion,
>-kristian- 8-)
>
>
                                                        Christophe Grandsire
                                                |Sela Jemufan Atlinan C.G.

"Reality is just another point of view."

homepage : http://www.bde.espci.fr/homepage/Christophe.Grandsire/index.html