Yasaro: Difference between revisions
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Yasaro ('' | Yasaro (''níṅsi jasǎro'') is one of around 70,000 [[Zireen]] languages spoken on the planet Rishai. This is a brief introduction to the language, which will eventually grow to include more aspects of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary. | ||
Consonants: | Consonants: | ||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
| ň [ɲ] | | ň [ɲ] | ||
| ŋ | | ŋ | ||
| ñ* | |||
|- | |- | ||
| v | | v | ||
| Line 25: | Line 26: | ||
| h | | h | ||
|} | |} | ||
* /ñ/ is the Yasaro syllable-final nasal phoneme, contrasting with /m/ (in some dialects) and /ŋ/. See below for pronunciation. | |||
Vowels: | Vowels: | ||
{| border=1 cellpadding=5 | {| border=1 cellpadding=5 | ||
| i | | i | ||
| | | | ||
| u | | u | ||
|- | |- | ||
| e | | e | ||
| | |||
| (ɔ) | |||
|- | |- | ||
| (ɛ) | |||
| a | |||
| | | | ||
|} | |} | ||
Pronunciation of nasal | Pronunciation of vowel + syllable-final nasal /ñ/: | ||
*short vowel + homorganic nasal before stops: '' | *short vowel + homorganic nasal before stops: ''lèñpa'' = [ˈlɛ̂mba], ''tòñtu'' = [ˈtɔ̂ndɯ] | ||
*long and nasal before fricatives: '' | *a long and nasal vowel before fricatives: ''níñsi'' = [ˈnɪ̌ː̃zi], ''kelòñra'' = [keˈlɔ̂ː̃ʐa] | ||
*short and non-nasal at end of words: '' | *short and non-nasal at end of words: ''jasǎro(ñ)'' = [ʝaˈsǎʐɔ] | ||
Final [ɛ] (from -/eñ/) contrasts with /e/ in some words. Before /ñ/, the distinction between /a/ and /u/ is neutralized to an [ɔ] sound, which is represented here as a phoneme /o/ (since it contrasts with both /a/ and /u/ at the ends of words). | |||
Pitch accent: | Pitch accent: | ||
Underlying stress can fall on any syllable of the main root, but word-final syllables are never stressed. Stressed syllables on non-final syllables are pronounced with a falling tone. When a word ends with a syllable that would ordinarily be stressed, the preceding syllable gets the stress instead, but is pronounced with a rising tone. The stress remains on the final syllable of the root if a suffix is added (for example, '' | Underlying stress can fall on any syllable of the main root, but word-final syllables are never stressed. Stressed syllables on non-final syllables are pronounced with a falling tone. When a word ends with a syllable that would ordinarily be stressed, the preceding syllable gets the stress instead, but is pronounced with a rising tone. The stress remains on the final syllable of the root if a suffix is added (for example, ''tóñpa'' [ˈtɔ̌mba] "head", but ''toñpà-ta'' [tɔmˈpâɾa] "my head"). | ||
Revision as of 20:14, 28 June 2006
Yasaro (níṅsi jasǎro) is one of around 70,000 Zireen languages spoken on the planet Rishai. This is a brief introduction to the language, which will eventually grow to include more aspects of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary.
Consonants:
| p | th [t̪] | t | č [tʃ] | k | ||
| m | nh [n̪] | n | ň [ɲ] | ŋ | ñ* | |
| v | l | s [s~z] | r [ʐ] | j | h |
- /ñ/ is the Yasaro syllable-final nasal phoneme, contrasting with /m/ (in some dialects) and /ŋ/. See below for pronunciation.
Vowels:
| i | u | |
| e | (ɔ) | |
| (ɛ) | a |
Pronunciation of vowel + syllable-final nasal /ñ/:
- short vowel + homorganic nasal before stops: lèñpa = [ˈlɛ̂mba], tòñtu = [ˈtɔ̂ndɯ]
- a long and nasal vowel before fricatives: níñsi = [ˈnɪ̌ː̃zi], kelòñra = [keˈlɔ̂ː̃ʐa]
- short and non-nasal at end of words: jasǎro(ñ) = [ʝaˈsǎʐɔ]
Final [ɛ] (from -/eñ/) contrasts with /e/ in some words. Before /ñ/, the distinction between /a/ and /u/ is neutralized to an [ɔ] sound, which is represented here as a phoneme /o/ (since it contrasts with both /a/ and /u/ at the ends of words).
Pitch accent: Underlying stress can fall on any syllable of the main root, but word-final syllables are never stressed. Stressed syllables on non-final syllables are pronounced with a falling tone. When a word ends with a syllable that would ordinarily be stressed, the preceding syllable gets the stress instead, but is pronounced with a rising tone. The stress remains on the final syllable of the root if a suffix is added (for example, tóñpa [ˈtɔ̌mba] "head", but toñpà-ta [tɔmˈpâɾa] "my head").
