Voicing sandhi

I haven't found/taken the time to work much on Tairezazh's grammar or vocab
the last few weeks, but I've done some strictifying up on the voicing sandhi
rules.

Originally, voicing assimilation only occured within words - for instance
the accusative ending /-s/ is realized as [-z] after voiced consonants
('xcept for /z/, /D/ and /Z/, which causes it to appear as [-@s] instead).
This recognized in writing.

The definite article "ez" [Ez] becomes "es" [Es] before voiceless
consonants, and "e'" [E] before /s/ and /z/. Many speakers also use [E]
before /T D S Z/, but it's considered wrong to write things like _e' shaid_
- it should be _es shaid_.

The new thing I've introduced is that in some positions, the an initial
consonant or cluster assimilates in voice with the final consonant of the
preceeding word. This change is NOT to be recognized in writing. I've not
decided exactly when this assimilation 'll take place, but adjectives
following nouns are definitely on the list. Since another change kills off
the first of two successive identical consonants, a phrase like _tsheint
dzatsh_ "first love" now gets pronounced as [tSein tsatS]. Possessive
pronouns 'll go the same way, so _tshond shai_ "your dream" is [tSOnd Zai].
The final consonant of a preposition (if any) will probably assimilate in
voicing with the first consonant of its noun. I'm undecided whether voicing
sandhi'll kick in between two words of the same "importance" - is _daks
draz_ "old (and) sad" to be pronounced as [daks draz], [daks traz] or [dagz
draz]?

                                           Andreas

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