Jamastulu: Difference between revisions
Kurasmanja (talk | contribs) |
Kurasmanja (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
--[[User:Kurasmanja|Kurasmanja]] 14:29, 22 Nov 2004 (PST) | |||
Question: What do you get when you take phonetic features from Georgian and Czech and mix them with a phonology based on Finnish? | Question: What do you get when you take phonetic features from Georgian and Czech and mix them with a phonology based on Finnish? | ||
Answer: Jamastulu. | Answer: Jamastulu. | ||
Jamastulu is the brainchild of Rob Hoelz, and is being created for an RPG to give one its cultures a more realistic feel. (And also to confuse the gamer!) It has an as-of-yet unnamed sister language, and both languages are descended from a conlang known as Proto-Jama until a better name is created. Rob is currently fleshing out the grammar of Proto-Jama and has already planned a great deal of sound changes to transform it into Jamastulu, and one of the other collaborators on the project is working to create the sister language. | |||
Facts about Jamastulu: | |||
- Jamastulu is literally translated as "Tongue of the Desert." | |||
- It is spoken by the Jamaskura (Shadows of the Desert). | |||
- It has three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and around eight cases (currently being worked on), but suprisingly barely distinguishes number. | |||
- In spite of its somewhat complicated noun system, its verbs are relatively simple, not inflecting for person or number. | |||
==Phonology== | |||
The phonemes of Jamastulu are given with their transliteration and the X-SAMPA equivalent in brackets on the right. | |||
==Consonants== | |||
{| | |||
! !! Labial !! Labiodental !! Dental !! Alveolar !! Postalveolar !! Palatal !! Velar | |||
|- | |||
! Plosives | |||
| p[p], pp[p_>] || - || t[t], tt[t_>] || - || - || tj[c], ttj[c_>] || k[k], kk[k_>] | |||
|- | |||
! Nasals | |||
| m[m] || - || n[n] || - || - || nj[J] || - | |||
|- | |||
! Taps | |||
| - || - || - || r[4] || - || - || - | |||
|- | |||
! Trills | |||
| - || - || - || rr[r] || - || - || - | |||
|- | |||
! Fricatives | |||
| - || v[v] || - || ss[s], zz[z] || s[S], z[Z] || sj[C], zj[j\] || - | |||
|- | |||
! Approximants | |||
| - || - || - || l[l] || - || j[j] || - | |||
|} | |||
The following sounds are pronounced approximately as in English: | |||
p, t, k, m, n, v, l | |||
Other sounds: | |||
tj, nj, sj, zj: Palatal versions of their dental/alveolar counter parts. | |||
pp, tt, ttj, kk: Glottalized versions of their voiceless aspirated equivalents. | |||
r, rr: Pronounced as Spanish r and rr respectively. (Tapped and trilled r) | |||
ss, zz: Pronounced as English s an z respectively. | |||
s: Pronounced as English sh. | |||
z: Pronounced as s in the English word mea'''s'''ure. | |||
j: Pronounced as English y in '''y'''es. | |||
==Vowels== | |||
The vowels are very similar if not identical to those of Finnish: | |||
a - as a in f'''a'''ther | |||
e - as ay in d'''ay''' (only a pure vowel, not a diphthong) | |||
i - as ee in f'''ee'''t | |||
o - as oa in m'''oa'''t (also a pure vowel) | |||
u - as oo in f'''oo'''d | |||
y - no equivalent in English, as ü in German '''ü'''ber. (If you don't know how that sounds, round your lips while pronouncing Jamastulu i.) | |||
ö - no equivalent in English, as ö in German scj'''ö'''n. (If you don't know how that sounds, round your lips while | |||
pronouncing Jamastulu e.) | |||
ä - similar to e in b'''e'''d. | |||
I hope to add syllable, consonant cluster, and diphthong structure sometime soon. If you have comments or questions, edit this article and post them after this line. |
Revision as of 14:29, 22 November 2004
--Kurasmanja 14:29, 22 Nov 2004 (PST)
Question: What do you get when you take phonetic features from Georgian and Czech and mix them with a phonology based on Finnish?
Answer: Jamastulu.
Jamastulu is the brainchild of Rob Hoelz, and is being created for an RPG to give one its cultures a more realistic feel. (And also to confuse the gamer!) It has an as-of-yet unnamed sister language, and both languages are descended from a conlang known as Proto-Jama until a better name is created. Rob is currently fleshing out the grammar of Proto-Jama and has already planned a great deal of sound changes to transform it into Jamastulu, and one of the other collaborators on the project is working to create the sister language.
Facts about Jamastulu:
- Jamastulu is literally translated as "Tongue of the Desert."
- It is spoken by the Jamaskura (Shadows of the Desert).
- It has three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and around eight cases (currently being worked on), but suprisingly barely distinguishes number.
- In spite of its somewhat complicated noun system, its verbs are relatively simple, not inflecting for person or number.
Phonology
The phonemes of Jamastulu are given with their transliteration and the X-SAMPA equivalent in brackets on the right.
Consonants
Labial | Labiodental | Dental | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Palatal | Velar | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosives | p[p], pp[p_>] | - | t[t], tt[t_>] | - | - | tj[c], ttj[c_>] | k[k], kk[k_>] |
Nasals | m[m] | - | n[n] | - | - | nj[J] | - |
Taps | - | - | - | r[4] | - | - | - |
Trills | - | - | - | rr[r] | - | - | - |
Fricatives | - | v[v] | - | ss[s], zz[z] | s[S], z[Z] | sj[C], zj[j\] | - |
Approximants | - | - | - | l[l] | - | j[j] | - |
The following sounds are pronounced approximately as in English: p, t, k, m, n, v, l
Other sounds: tj, nj, sj, zj: Palatal versions of their dental/alveolar counter parts.
pp, tt, ttj, kk: Glottalized versions of their voiceless aspirated equivalents.
r, rr: Pronounced as Spanish r and rr respectively. (Tapped and trilled r)
ss, zz: Pronounced as English s an z respectively.
s: Pronounced as English sh.
z: Pronounced as s in the English word measure.
j: Pronounced as English y in yes.
Vowels
The vowels are very similar if not identical to those of Finnish:
a - as a in father
e - as ay in day (only a pure vowel, not a diphthong)
i - as ee in feet
o - as oa in moat (also a pure vowel)
u - as oo in food
y - no equivalent in English, as ü in German über. (If you don't know how that sounds, round your lips while pronouncing Jamastulu i.)
ö - no equivalent in English, as ö in German scjön. (If you don't know how that sounds, round your lips while pronouncing Jamastulu e.)
ä - similar to e in bed.
I hope to add syllable, consonant cluster, and diphthong structure sometime soon. If you have comments or questions, edit this article and post them after this line.