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/ and /oː/, 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.
• 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].

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 …