Re: Tonal Languages taken to extremes

On Fri, 28 Sep 2001 21:59:04 -0400, Adam Walker <dreamertwo@...>
wrote:


>Hmmm. I could do that, I suppose.  Actually all this talk of tonal spelling
>in Cantonese *g* has gotten me interestind in digging up my old notes (if
>they aren't back in the States) and doing some more work on that beast.  I
>believe it was called aeuia.  Though I think a shorte name is in order.
>
>As I recall I had the 11 tones as above (make that 13, I like your
>suggestion!).
>
>There were four voice qualities -- plain, rough, whispered and tense.
>(ispired by a combination of Bai and Vietnamese)
I'm afraid 'tense' and especially 'wispered' won't freely combine with
tones...

>I had three vowel lengths -- short, long and extralong.  (a la Estonian, I
>believe)
Same kind of doubt here. I think at least the 'broken' tones will require
a non-short vowel. Perhaps, 'short' will keep distinct only the three level
tones.

At any rate, I'd try to pronounce it before making any definite
decisions... ;)

>All vowels could be rounded.
Do you mean an attached w-glide?

If you add some diphthongs (and triphthongs?) to the non-short, you can get
more.

>I seem to recall having 3 front vowels, three central vowels and three back
>vowels, thought that could be amiss.
>
>9 vowels times 2 roundness settings = 18
>times 3 lengths = 54
>times 4 voice qualities = 216
>times 13 tones = 2808 distinct monosyllables!!!!!
>
>Wow.  I don't hink I'll need more than two-syllable words in this lang.
>Three would be redundant!!
>
>Adam
Basilius