Christophe Grandsire wrote:
> a: /a/
> e: /e/
> i: /i/
> o: /O/
> u: /y/
> Length is not a phonemic feature of A'stou.
> Diphtongs (digraphs) are formed by combining a strong and a weak vowel.
> Falling diphtongs (strong vowel followed by weak vowel) stand for the
> following sounds:
> ai: /E/ oi: /Oj/ ei: /Ej/
> au: /o/ ou: /u/ eu: /9/ as in french 'peur'
Is there any [2], perhaps as an allophone of /9/?
> In rising diphtongs (weak vowel followed by strong vowel), the weak vowel
> stands for a glide: i: /j/ and u: /w/
Interesting, so <u> is /y/ AND /w/? Why not use <ou> for the /w/
sound? That would be a bit more consistent.
> b_: /b@/ d_: /d@/ bh_: /v@/
> g_: /g@/ z_: /z@/ zh_: /Z@/
Interesting.
> - psi, called /'Sin/ and transcribed <sh>, standing for /S/,
> - psi-dot, transcribed <zh>, standing for /Z/\
Interesting usage.
> NOTE: <sy> and <zy> (palatalised sigma and sigma-dot) are homophonous to
> <sh> and <zh>
How is the usage determined? Was it on etymological grounds?
> The structure of the syllable is quite free for the onset but very
> restrictive (in comparison) for the coda. In general, we can write it
> (C)(C)(C)V(C'). Yes, three consonnants are allowed for the onset
> - Onset clusters must be of the same voicing (all voiceless or all voiced,
> with the letters that cannot carry a dot considered neutral in this
> respect). Yet, as a cluster inside a word is composed of a consonnant of
> coda of the previous syllable and the consonnants of onset of the next one,
> the first consonnant of such clusters can be of different voicing than the
> other consonnants.
> - Coda consonnants cannot be palatalized, nor can /h/ appear in coda position.
That's the ONLY restriction? Can you have, say, _gbda_?
> in coda position (like in the word A'stou itself).
Why wouldn't a'stou be syllabified as a'-stou?
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