Re: language of the Mandai: phonology

Quoting Tom Little <tom@...>:

> VOWELS
>
> The vowels are a /A/, i /i/, e /V/, o /o/, ù /U/, and u /u/. The vowel /A/
> forms both rising and falling diphthongs with both /i/ and /u/: ai, au, ia,
> ua. In the early language, /A/ followed by any nasal consonant at the end
> of a word came to be pronounced /A~/, which speakers hear as /An/.
This is a somewhat unusual inventory -- it has a tense/lax distinction
in back high vowels, but none in front vowels, and has a back mid vowel
with no front counterpart (if I understand correctly that /V/ represents
a central vowel).  Any particular reason for this asymmetry?

> Stress usually, though
> not always, depends on the vowel, a receiving the strongest stress,
> followed by u, i, o and ù, with e receiving the weakest stress.
What about the placement of stress?

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier
Dept. of Linguistics  "Nihil magis praestandum est quam ne pecorum ritu
University of Chicago sequamur antecedentium gregem, pergentes non qua
1010 E. 59th Street   eundum est, sed qua itur." -- Seneca
Chicago, IL 60637

Reply