Sahax

Phonology

Consonants

p	t	ʧ	k
β ~ V	z	ʤ
ɸ ~ f	s ~ ʃ		x ~ h
m ~ ɱ	n		(ŋ)
	l ~ L

Recent loanwords may additionally include /d ɡ/.

Vowels

Short /i ɨ a/, long /iː ɨː aː oː/, the last of which however has a limited distribution and may be equivalent to /aβV/.

Phonotax

(C)V(C); allowed coda consonants include /p t k s x n/ and, in loans, /l/. Coda stops are unreleased and lightly glottalized. Nativ clusters include /n/ + obstruent excluding /p x/; /sk/, /sm/, …

Allophony/diachronics

• Proto-Sahax features *P *t *k *s *V *J *m *n. (Note: *V here is a labial of unsure quality, not modern [V].)
• Before, /i/, coronals *t *s *J *n palatalize to [ʧ ʃ ʤ l]. This carries over for contemporary /t s z/.
• Word-final /n/ may be realized as [ŋ] after vowels other than /i/.
• Prevocalic /x/ ([h]) is originally an initial/intervocalic variant of /ɸ/ before /a/, phonemicized by loans. Coda /x/ derives from (certain cases of?) *k / a_#.
• Before /ɨ/:
  • /l/ is realized as a retroflex lateral flap, transcribed as [L] here; this originally developed from *t.
  • Other coronals are also slightly retracted.
  • Bilabials become labiodentals; the /p ɸ/ contrast is neutralized to [f], and /β/ becomes a labiodental flap [V].

Inherited
*s	*P	*t	*k	*V	*J	*n	*m
ʃiʃ	ɸip	ʧit	kik	βi	ʤi	lin	mi
sɨs	fɨf	Lɨt	kɨk	Vɨ	zɨ	nɨŋ	ɱɨ
sas	hap	tat	kax	βa	za	naŋ	ma
Loan'd
	pi	li		ʧɨ	ʤɨ	Vl
ɸa	pa	la	da	ʧa	ʤa
Derived in addition to loans
ix	ɨx	tɨ

Morphology

Regular plural is formed by the suffix //K//, realized as

• /k/ after short vowels, as well as after /x/ which is itself dropped in the process;
• /kɨ/ after long vowels and /s n l/;
• /ɨk/ after other consonants.

Vocabulary

…Is, to a large extent, loaned. Personal pronouns:

	1	2	3
S	vatan	minji	hasi
D	vaalu	miilu	haasu
P	vatanku	minjik	hasik

(note the regularity of formation in the plurals)

Numerals: 1 kisma, 2 zook, 3 tulipan …