Oburax

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Phonology

Consonants

	s	sʲ	ʃ
p	t̪	tʲ	k
w- -b-	d̪	j- -dʲ-	-g-
mb	nd̪	ndʲ	ŋg
m	n̪	nʲ
	l	lʲ	r

The somewhat backwards distribution of initial glides vs. medial voiced stops originates in that the voiced stops (except /d/) originate from medial voicing of voiceless stops; modern medial voiceless stops come from former consonant clusters of sibilant+stop. Thus, some /p t tʲ k/ alternate with /b d dʲ g/.

Clusters of voiced stop + voiceless stop are realized with glottalization of the 1st stop and weak voicing of the 2nd: thus /sud̪ka/ [sud̪̚ʔg̊a], /wæmbtʲek/ [wæmʔd̥ʲek].

In some dialects initial prenasal stops denasalize to yield new voiced stops; in some others initial /w/, /j/ → /b~g/, /dʲ/. Also, in some dialects /p/ can become [ɸ] intervocally.

A more frequent dialectal (incl. colloquial standard speech) feature is the palatalization of /s l/ to /sʲ lʲ/ near front vowels, which tends to go with velarization of remaining /l/. More innovating dialects (which also realize /sʲ tʲ (n)dʲ/ as [ɕ tɕ (n)dʑ]) palatalize /ʃ/ as well.

/w-/ does not occur before difthongs ending in /u/.

Vowels

i		ɯ	u
e	ø
æ		ɑ	ɒ

Vowels are long in an initial syllable, except before a consonant cluster (incl. prenasal stops). Long /ɒ/ is typically [ɔː]. Word-initially, long /e ø/ gain a glide: [jeː ɥøː]

There are also the difthongs /ie iø iu eu au ou/. Before a consonant other than a velar or /ʃ/, /iu/ is realized as [y(ː)]. Distribution of the /iV/ difthongs and /ou/ is somewhat limited: they may only occur in monosyllables. /au/ is rarely maintained and is usually pronounced identical to /ou/.

Eastern dialects:

• ɒ > o
• ɯ > ʌ
• ie iø > i y
• iu eu > yu øu
• ɑ > ɒ (most innovativ subdialects)

Southern dialects:

• ø > o
• retention of /au/

The Biru dialect has added a stop at the end of monosyllabic words ending in a high vowel, if no coda otherwise exists:

• /i/ → /idʲ/
• /ɯ/ → /ɯg/
• /u iu eu au ou/ → /ub ib eb ab ob/

In bisyllabic roots, the V₂ arkiphonemes become [i e] near palatalized consonants, and remain approximately [ɯ ə] otherwise.

Morphophonology

<T D> etc. are shorthand for the two series of coronals (or three sibilants).

Roots can be of eight different basic shapes:

• Monosyllabic: σ
  1. (C)V
     • Vowel-initial suffixes may lead to various vowel contractions.
  2. (C)VC
     • C₂, if a stop, may alternate between voiced (intervocally) and voiceless (otherwise).
  3. (C)VC(P)
     • C₃ is always a voiceless stop and only surfaces before vowel-initial suffixes. Appearing clusters include /pT/, /mbT/, /mbk/, /ST/, /Tk/, /d̪k/, /nDk/, /kT/, /ŋgT/.
  4. (C)V(S/P)
     • C₂ is always a sibilant, C₃ a voiceless stop. The stop is the default; the sibilant surfaces before certain consonant-initial suffixes, typically nasals (also //ST//+/L/ > /SL/). Some assimilations also apply, eg. /sʲ/+/l r/ > /sl sr/.
• Sesquisyllabic: σ(σ)
  1. (C)VC(ə)C
     • [ə] is lost before a vowel-initial suffix. C₂ may alternate between voiced and voiceless, if a stop. C₃ is always a voiceless stop or a liquid.
  2. (C)VC(ə)(C)
     • A small set of words with the consonantism //LN ld̪ rd̪//. Resembles the previous class, except C₃ fails to appear in certain forms (e.g. word-finally).
• Bisyllabic: σσ
  1. (C)VCəC
     • Most roots with C₂ and C₃ both sonorants fall here.
  2. (C)VCɨC
     • Generally invariant, save for possible stop voicing. C₃ is always a voiceless stop or a liquid; /t̪ tʲ lʲ/ are rare here.

Types σ₃, σ₄, σ(σ)₁, σ(σ)₂, σσ₁ are basically in complementary distribution: the inflection type is determined by the identity of C₂ and Cɜ. The main exception are //ST// roots, which may be σ₃ or σ₄, and nominal //pT// roots, which may be σ₃ or σ(σ)₂ (all verbs are the latter).

Derived stems may pattern similar to σ₁ roots, σσ₂ roots, σ(σ)₁ roots, or σ₄ roots.

Semicompatible dump

/pil/ /sʲin/ /wik/ /ŋgip/ /rinʲəs/ /iu/

/dek/ /dek-s/ /derəm/ /tʲeŋg/ /we/ /keŋg/ /neʃ/ /jek/ /sedʲət/

/wæm/ /sʲæk/ /wæl/ /æ/

/tønʲ/ /søp/ /køt/ /møtət/

/sɯ/ /ŋgɯr/ /pɯ/ /tʲɯt/ /lɯp/

/tʲarəp/ /warət/ /ʃan/ /ʃand/ /lak/ /at/ /kau/ /samb/

/mbuk/ /dun/ /mugə/ /sum/ /sut/ /sudək/ /wus/ /tʃu/ /pu/ /rul/