Jamastulu: Difference between revisions

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--[[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.