Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: Gnumin Phonology Sketch

From:jesse stephen bangs <jaspax@...>
Date:Wednesday, July 18, 2001, 7:05
Justin Mansfield sikayal:

> > VOWELS > > > > Vowels are quite simple. There are only three qualities [i u a], > which > > also occur long [i: u: a:]. The short vowels might wind up being > somewhat > > laxed, to [I U @], though I'm not sure about that yet. > > [snip] > > It seems to me that a language wiht that many consonants and that few > vowels would very likely reinforce consonant phonemes with allophonic > vowel alternation. By way of example, I've often heard it said (and it's > been my experience) that you can recognize an Arabic emphatic consonant > more by the pronunciation of the adjacent vowels than by the consoant > itself!
This is a great idea. I'll have to work it out some, but the first things that come to mind are devoicing of vowels following aspirated stops, breathy voicing following murmured stops, and perhaps some centralization following the ejectives . . . I'll have to work it out more, but since this language is still in its infancy I have lots of room to play. Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu "If you look at a thing nine hundred and ninety-nine times, you are perfectly safe; if you look at it the thousandth time, you are in frightful danger of seeing it for the first time." --G.K. Chesterton