Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

My conlang Nemalo

From:Hemmo <hemmo@...>
Date:Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 16:25
>Then learn it. "Pronounced like" descriptions are well-known to mean >nothing to most people. You really need to learn IPA and at least its >X-SAMPA transcription, or you won't ever be able to describe sounds in a >meaningful way here. I will show you why immediately.
I see what you mean, but I don't think pronouncuation is the most important thing. I'll try to make some Sampa list later.
>>&#349; (S with ^): like English SH
>Please no HTML entities in e-mail. HTML is for webpages. For e-mail, use a >transliteration, a description (like you do otherwise) or point out to a >webpage with some info. But no HTML of any kind in e-mail, please.
It got converted automaticly, I send this via the web-interface of brown.edu, I don't really know how posting via Outlook works.
>Most people don't know how this is pronounced. And do you mean /ej/, /Ej/, >/aj/ or /E/ (all four pronunciations current in various Dutch dialects. >There are more).
I just assumed the 'official' sound, not the sound of some dialect.
>>E, short: Like short E in Spanish, English, Dutch, but not as a sjwa
>The English spelling is "schwa" :) .
Like Pet for example, but I guess this too it's pronounced differently.
>By the way, I don't see "é" anywhere in this description, yet it is in the >name of your conlang. What does it represent?
When a word is written, and a sound is short but should be long, it gets a ´-symbol (aigu?), and the opposite: when a sound is written long but should be short, it gets a `-symbol (grave?). I devide word like: (A = vowel, B=not a vowel) ABA - both vowels are long BAB - vowel is short AB - vowel is short BA - vowel is long, exept when it's the last letter of a word other than E A - vowel is short it's a bit like English: hop has a short vowel, but hope a long one. Némalo makes it hóp. I hope this makes it a bit clear because it's hard to explain for me.
>You really should learn the IPA and X-SAMPA (or at least the slightly >different form we use here). To learn the IPA, go here: >http://www.ling.hf.ntnu.no/ipa/full/ It has sounds, so you'll know exactly >what each symbol refers too. And for the transliteration used here, go to: >http://cassowary.free.fr/Linguistics/cxschart.png That's the chart we use.
>While we're at it, here's the main site we give for newcomers to look at: >http://www.ling.su.se/lingonord/conlanglinks/ :)
Thanks, I'll have a look, but the chart makes no sence to me
>Nouns in your language don't have plural? Nice :)
No, but some prepositions do.
>I fear to ask why this choice of vocabulary ;) .
What is wrong with it?
>>*) exept when the direct object is equal to the subject.
>What do you do then? :)
Kasto vios bêlo - The house is blue - the blue thing is the same as the house, so it's the same; Watudo posydos kastu - The man gets a house - the man is not the same as the house. So, when it's equal, it gets an O, otherwise it doesn't.
>>Adverbs usually end with I.
>All adverbs or only adverbs derived from adjectives?
Only adverbs derived from adjectives and some others.
>>Words: >One word is always written as one word, unlike English does.
>?
English words can sometimes be written as two (or more) words, like "USB cable" or "web development" - it's one thing but has two words. Némalo always uses one word, like Dutch or German: "USB-kabel"/"webontwikkeling".
>/ej/ as a binding sound? That's strange. Normally binding sounds are much >more neutral (i.e. usually just schwa or similar). Any reason for this >choice?
No.
>>Articles are only used when necesary. They can indicate if a word is >>singular/plural or which case it should have. This is only used when a >word >doesn't end with its own -o/-u/-um.
>And when does this happen?
With words that don't always end with an O, usually words derived from something else: watudo (person/people) -> watudok (man). If you need to show the word is in some part of a sentence, just give it an article: watudo - (eso) watudok watudu - (esu) watudok watudum - (esum) watudok Thanks for your help.

Reply

Joe <joe@...>