Etaŕo

'Etaŕo' is a naturalistic conlang. It is not intended to fit into any of Earth's linguistic families

Phonology

Etaŕo is represented with the following alphabet:

• "A" is pronounced "ah" as in "spa" (open back unrounded vowel)
  • "Â" is between "a" (cat) and "e" (net), so is close to a near-open front unrounded vowel.
• "B" is pronounced "b" as in "bed" (voiced bilabial plosive)
• "C" is pronounced like "sh" (shop) but further back (voiceless postaveolar fricative)
• "D" is pronounced "d" as in "dog" (voiced aveolar plosive)
• "E" is between "a" (play) and "e" (bed) (mid-front unrounded vowel)
• "F" is pronounced "f" as in "face" (voiceless labiodental fricative)
• "Ƒ" is like "F", but between two lips (voiceless bilabial fricative)
• "G" is pronounced "g" as in "ground" (voiced velar plosive)
• "H" is like a "g", but not closed all the way (voiceless velar fricative)
  • "Ĥ" is an unvoiced uvular trill. Woodwind players sometimes use is for fluttertounging.
• "I" is pronounced "ee" as in "free" (close front unrounded vowel)
• "J" is like "Ƒ", but voiced (voiced labiodental fricative)
• "K" is pronounced "k" as in "key" (voiceless velar plosive)
• "L" is pronounced "l" as in "lamb" (lateral aveolar approximant)
• "M" is pronounced "m" as in "mall" (bilabial nasal)
• "N" is pronounced "n" as in "nose" (aveolar nasal
  • "Ñ" is like "N", but stick your tongue back further (retroflex nasal)
• "O" is pronounced like "o" (dog), but the mouth is closed up more (mid back rounded vowel)
  • "Ô" is pronounced "oo" as in "foot" (near-close near-back vowel)
• "P" is pronounced "p" as in "part" (unvoiced bilabial plosive)
• "R" is pronounced "r" as in "rot" (aveolar approximant)
  • "Ŕ" is pronounced like the Japanese "r" (aveolar tap)
• "S" is pronounced "s" as in "set" (unvoiced aveolar fricative)
• "T" is pronounced "t" as in "tea"
• "U" is pronounced "u" as in "euphoria" (near-close central rounded vowel)
• "V" is pronounced "v" as in "voice" (voiced labio-dental fricative)
• "W" is pronounced "w" as in "watts" (bilabial approximant)
• "X" is pronounced "ch" as in "cha-cha" (voiced postaveolar fricative)
• "Y" is pronounced like "ee" (feet), but rounded (closed front rounded vowel)
• "Z" is pronounced "z" as in "zoo" (voiced aveolar fricative)

There is no "Q" in the Etaŕo alphabet.

Dipthongs

Etaŕo has 3 dipthongs: au (ah-oo), iy (ee-u), and ôu.

Tones and Stress

Etaŕo words with multiple syllables usually has a downstep (low tone) on the 'first' syllable. However, due to compound wording, declension and conjugations, some words are different. Although this change can usually be inferred by the context, when needed, the downstep may be notated by an undertie directly before or after the syllable, ex. otan (tailfin) and otan‿ ([I] don't try).