Inng
| Inng Inng-lan | |
|---|---|
| Pronounced: | [iŋː˩län˩] |
| Species: | Human |
| Writing system: | None. Romanization for conlanging purposes. |
| Credits | |
| Creator: | Qwynegold |
| Created: | 21/02/2013 |
Phonology
Inng has only 16 phonemic consonants, and four vowels. But allophones there are a lot more of because of Inng's extensive allophony.
Phoneme and allophone inventories
Both phonemes and allophones are represented in the following tables. Generally the phonemes are represented with a letter that is also used for one of its allophones. The only exception is /r/ which is not realized as [r] but as rhotactization or other changes of the previous vowel.
Consonant inventory
All of the phonemes except for /r/ have as an allophone the same sound as what the phoneme is transcribed with. So for example /p/ has the allophone [p]. /r/ however is never realized as [r].
| Consonants | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilabial | Labiod. | Alveolar | Retroflex | Alveolo-palatal | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plain | Pal. | Plain | Pal. | Central | Lateral | Plain | Lab. | Plain | Lab. | Plain | Lab. | Pal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plain | Lab. | Plain | Lab. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nasal | /m/ [mː] | [mʲ] | /n/ [nː] | [nʷ] | [ɳ] | [n̠ʲ] | [n̠ᶣ] | /ŋ/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syllabic nasal | [m̩] [m̩ː] | [n̩] [n̩ː] | [ɳ̍ː] | [ŋ̍] [ŋ̍ː] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plosive | /p/ [pʰ] | /b/ | [pʰʲ] | [bʲ] | /t/ [tʰ] | /d/ | [tʰʷ] | [dʷ] | [ṯʰʲ] | [ḏʲ] | [t̠ʰᶣ] | [d̠ᶣ] | /k/ [kʰ] | /ɡ/ | [kʰʲ] | [ɡʲ] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Affricate | /t͡s/ [t͡sʰ] | /d͜z/ | [t͡sʰʷ] | [d͜zʷ] | [t͜ɬʰ] | [d͡ɮ] | [t͡ɕʰ] | [d͜ʑ] | [t͡ɕʰᶣ] | [d͜ʑᶣ] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syllabic affricate | [t͡ɬ̩ʰ] [t͡ɬ̩ːʰ] | [d͜ɮ̍] [d͜ɮ̍ː] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fricative | [ɸ] | [ɸʲ] | /f/ | [fʲ] | /s/ | [sʷ] | [ɕ] | [ɕᶣ] | [ç] | [çᶣ] | [x] | /h/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Approximant | /l/ [lː] | [lʷ] | [ɭ] | [l̠ʲ] | [l̠ᶣ] | [j] | [ɥ] | [ɫ] | [ʍ] | [w] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syllabic approximant | [l̩] [l̩ː] | [ɭ̍ː] | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rhotic | /r/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The "syllabic affricates" are affricates with a syllabic release. From now on, all the affricates will be transcribed without the tiebar, as there is no ambiguity: Any plosive followed by any fricative in the same word make an affricate in Inng.
Throughout this article, the syllabic consonants may transcribed with a vertical line (◌̩ or ◌̍) even in phonemic transcription, and the corresponding non-syllabic consonants with inverted breve below (◌̯). This is for clarifying if they are in nucleus, or onset or coda. The lack of onset or coda may be transcribed with ∅.
Vowel inventory
Just as with the consonant table above, all of the vowels have the same sound as an allophone as what the phoneme is transcribed with.
| Vowels | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Central | Back | ||||
| Close | /i/ [iː] | [ʉː] | /u/ [uː] | |||
| Close-mid | [e] [eː] | [o] [oː] [o˞ː] | ||||
| Mid | /ə/ [əː] [ɚː] | |||||
| Open-mid | [ɛ] [ɛː] | [ɝː] | [ɔ] [ɔː] | |||
| Near-open | [ɐ˞ː] | |||||
| Open | /a/ [aː] | [ä] [äː] | [ɑ] [ɑː] | [ɒ] [ɒː] | ||
Tone inventory
Inng has a pitch accent system, where open syllables may have high or low pitch (which may be realized as [˥] respectively [˩]), or be unaccented. Closed syllables are all unaccented.
| Tones | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /˥/ | [˩˥] | [˩˩˥] | [˥˩˥] | [˥˩] | [˥˩˩] | /˩/ |
Syllable structure
The syllable structure for Inng is (O)N(N)(C), where O can be any consonant except for /ŋ, r/, N can be any vowel or /ŋ, l/, and C can be /m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, ts, l, r/. The only restrictions are that if the nucleus is /ŋŋ/, then neither the oneset nor coda can be a nasal, and that there can not be more than two /l/ in succession, regardless of what part of the syllable they are. All words are monosyllabic, except of course for compound words, which are frequent.
Since /ŋ, l/ can be both consonants and vowels, it is important to distinguish between nucleuses and onsets/codas. Phonemes in nucleus may have non-syllabic realizations, so there are words that on the phonemic level are different with regard to syllable structure, but which are realized the same way. However, pitch may distinguish these words, as the tones are dependent on the surrounding consonants.
It is also important to distinguish between words that have a single nucleus (N) and words that have a double nucleus (NN). Single and double nucleuses may both be realized as a long vowel, but with pitch distinguishing them from each other.
Allophony
Nucleuses
Vowels and syllabic nasals are long when in an open syllable. /ə, əə, a, aa/ become [o, oː, ɑ, ɑː] when followed by a velar (effectively one of [ŋ, k, w]). [w] also adds rounding to /a, aa/, see the table below. The allophonic changes caused by a preceding palatal phone however take precedence over coda consonants. For example /iəŋ/ (eight) is realized [jeŋ] and not *[joŋ] because the preceding [j] changes the /ə/ to [e].
| /i/ [i] | /u/ [u] | /ə/ [ə] | /a/ [ä] | /l/ [l̩] | /ŋ/ [ŋ̍] |
| /ii/ [iː] | /ui/ [ɥi] | /əi/ [ej] | /ai/ [aj] | /li/ [l̠ʲi] | /ŋi/ [n̠ʲi] |
| /iu/ [ju] | /uu/ [uː] | /əu/ [ow] | /au/ [ɒw] | /lu/ [lʷu] | /ŋu/ [nʷu] |
| /iə/ [je] | /uə/ [wo] | /əə/ [əː] | /aə/ [ɛ] | /lə/ [lə] | /ŋə/ [nə] |
| /ia/ [ja] | /ua/ [wɒ] | /əa/ [ɔ] | /aa/ [äː] | /la/ [lä] | /ŋa/ [nä] |
| /il/ [il] | /ul/ [ul] | /əl/ [əl] | /al/ [äl] | /ll/ [l̩ː] | /ŋl/ [n̩l] |
| /iŋ/ [iŋ] | /uŋ/ [uŋ] | /əŋ/ [oŋ] | /aŋ/ [ɑŋ] | /lŋ/ [l̩m] | /ŋŋ/ [ŋ̍ː] |
When the nucleus consists of two consonants, one will be syllabic and the other non-syllabic. Which one is which depends on the surrounding consonants. This table shows their realization in words with neither onset or coda. Also note that all word-final vowels and syllabic consonants are long.
Rimes
/r/ is never realized as [r]. Instead it causes different changes in the previous vowel. The table below lists all possible combinations.
| /ir/ [ʉː] | /ur/ [o˞ː] | /ər/ [ɚː] | /ar/ [ɐ˞ː] | /lr/ [ɭ̍ː] | /ŋr/ [ɳ̍ː] |
| /iir/ [ʉː] | /uir/ [ɥʉː] | /əir/ [ʉː] | /air/ [ɚː] | /lir/ [lʉː] | /ŋir/ [nʉː] |
| /iur/ [jo˞ː] | /uur/ [o˞ː] | /əur/ [o˞ː] | /aur/ [ɚː] | /lur/ [lo˞ː] | /ŋur/ [no˞ː] |
| /iər/ [jɚː] | /uər/ [wɚː] | /əər/ [ɚː] | /aər/ [ɝː] | /lər/ [lɚː] | /ŋər/ [nɚː] |
| /iar/ [jɐ˞ː] | /uar/ [wɐ˞ː] | /əar/ [ɝː] | /aar/ [ɐ˞ː] | /lar/ [lɐ˞ː] | /ŋar/ [nɐ˞ː] |
| /ilr/ [iɭ] | /ulr/ [uɭ] | /əlr/ [əɭ] | /alr/ [äɭ] | /llr/ [ɭ̍ː] | /ŋlr/ [n̩ɭ] |
| /iŋr/ [iɳ] | /uŋr/ [uɳ] | /əŋr/ [əɳ] | /aŋr/ [äɳ] | /lŋr/ [l̩ɳ] | /ŋŋr/ [ɳ̍ː] |
/ir, iir, əir/, /ur, uur, əur/, /ər, əər, air, aur/, /əar, aər/, /ar, aar/, /lr, llr/, respectively /ŋr, ŋŋr/ are in complementary distribution. All of these form unaccented syllables.
Consonants
Voiceless plosives and the affricate /ts/ are aspirated when in onset, but not in coda. /l/ is realized as [ɫ] after a [w] in the same syllable.
| Consonant | +[i] | +[j] | +[u] | +[w] | +[ɥ] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /m/ | [mʲi] | [mj] | [mu] | [mw] | [mɥ] |
| /n/ | [n̠ʲi] | [n̠ʲ] | [nʷu] | [nʷ] | [n̠ᶣ] |
| /p/ | [pʲʰi] | [pʰj] | [pʰu] | [pʰw] | [pʰɥ] |
| /b/ | [bʲi] | [bj] | [bu] | [bw] | [bɥ] |
| /t/ | [t̠ʲʰi] | [t̠ʲʰ] | [tʷʰu] | [tʷʰ] | [t̠ᶣʰ] |
| /d/ | [d̠ʲi] | [d̠ʲ] | [dʷu] | [dʷ] | [d̠ᶣ] |
| /k/ | [kʲʰi] | [kj] | [kʰu] | [kʰw] | [kʰɥ] |
| /ɡ/ | [ɡʲi] | [ɡj] | [ɡu] | [ɡw] | [ɡɥ] |
| /ts/ | [tɕʰi] | [tɕʰ] | [tsʷʰu] | [tsʷʰ] | [tɕᶣʰ] |
| /dz/ | [dʑi] | [dʑ] | [dzʷu] | [dzʷ] | [dʑᶣ] |
| /f/ | [fʲi] | [fj] | [fu] | [ɸ] | [ɸɥ] |
| /s/ | [ɕi] | [ɕ] | [sʷu] | [sʷ] | [ɕᶣ] |
| /h/ | [çi] | [ç] | [ʍu] | [ʍ] | [çᶣ] |
| /l/ | [l̠ʲi] | [l̠ʲ] | [lʷu] | [lʷ] | [l̠ᶣ] |
The above table shows the realizations of consonants followed by [i, j, u, w, ɥ]. [j] is the realization of /i/ before another vowel, [w] is the realization of /u/ before a vowel other than /i/, and [ɥ] is the realization of /u/ before [i]. So for example the words /fing, fia˥, ful, fue˩, fui/ (fetch, feast, fort, foil (V.), foe) are pronunced [fʲiŋ˥˩, fjaː˥˩˥, ful˥˩, ɸoː˥˩˩, ɸɥiː˥˩˩].
There are some patterns to the realization of the consonants. Labials and velars become palatalized before [i] but form a cluster with [j], while alveolars become alveolo-palatal before [i, j], deleting the [j]. Labials and velars are not affected by [u, w, ɥ], with the exception of /f/ which become a bilabial when clustering with [w, ɥ]. Alveolars become labialized before [u, w], deleting the [w]. When followed by [ɥ] they become rounded alveolopalatals, deleting the [ɥ]. /h/ simply changes its point of articulation before all of these phones.
Syllabic consonants
The following table lists all possible syllables containing syllabic consonants but no true vowels. Combinations not allowed by the phonotactics are marked with a -.
| Nucleus /l/ | -/∅/[1][2] | -/m/ | -/n/ | -/ŋ/ | -/p/ | -/t/ | -/k/ | -/ts/ | -/l/[3] | -/r/[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /∅l/- | [l̩ː][5] | [l̩m] | [l̩n] | [l̩ŋ] | [l̩p] | [l̩t] | [l̩k] | [l̩ts] | [l̩ː][6] | [ɭ̍ː][7] |
| /ml/- | [ml̩ː] | [ml̩m] | [ml̩n] | [ml̩ŋ] | [ml̩p] | [ml̩t] | [ml̩k] | [ml̩ts] | [ml̩ː] | [mɭ̍ː] |
| /nl/-[8] | [nl̩ː] | [nl̩m] | [nl̩n] | [nl̩ŋ] | [nl̩p] | [nl̩t] | [nl̩k] | [nl̩ts] | [nl̩ː] | [nɭ̍ː] |
| /pl/- | [pʰl̩ː] | [pʰl̩m] | [pʰl̩n] | [pʰl̩ŋ] | [pʰl̩p] | [pʰl̩t] | [pʰl̩k] | [pʰl̩ts] | [pʰl̩ː] | [pʰɭ̍ː] |
| /bl/- | [bl̩ː] | [bl̩m] | [bl̩n] | [bl̩ŋ] | [bl̩p] | [bl̩t] | [bl̩k] | [bl̩ts] | [bl̩ː] | [bɭ̍ː] |
| /tl/- | [tɬ̩ːʰ] | [tɬ̩ʰm] | [tɬ̩ʰn] | [tɬ̩ʰŋ] | [tɬ̩ʰp] | [tɬ̩ʰt] | [tɬ̩ʰk] | [tɬ̩ʰts] | [tɬ̩ːʰ] | [tʰɭ̍ː] |
| /dl/- | [dɮ̍ː] | [dɮ̍m] | [dɮ̍n] | [dɮ̍ŋ] | [dɮ̍p] | [dɮ̍t] | [dɮ̍k] | [dɮ̍ts] | [dɮ̍ː] | [dɭ̍ː] |
| /kl/- | [kʰl̩ː] | [kʰl̩m] | [kʰl̩n] | [kʰl̩ŋ] | [kʰl̩p] | [kʰl̩t] | [kʰl̩k] | [kʰl̩ts] | [kʰl̩ː] | [kʰɭ̍ː] |
| /ɡl/- | [ɡl̩ː] | [ɡl̩m] | [ɡl̩n] | [ɡl̩ŋ] | [ɡl̩p] | [ɡl̩t] | [ɡl̩k] | [ɡl̩ts] | [ɡl̩ː] | [ɡɭ̍ː] |
| /tsl/- | [tsl̩ː] | [tsl̩m] | [tsl̩n] | [tsl̩ŋ] | [tsl̩p] | [tsl̩t] | [tsl̩k] | [tsl̩ts] | [tsl̩ː] | [tsɭ̍ː] |
| /dzl/- | [dzl̩ː] | [dzl̩m] | [dzl̩n] | [dzl̩ŋ] | [dzl̩p] | [dzl̩t] | [dzl̩k] | [dzl̩ts] | [dzl̩ː] | [dzɭ̍ː] |
| /fl/- | [fl̩ː] | [fl̩m] | [fl̩n] | [fl̩ŋ] | [fl̩p] | [fl̩t] | [fl̩k] | [fl̩ts] | [fl̩ː] | [fɭ̍ː] |
| /sl/- | [sl̩ː] | [sl̩m] | [sl̩n] | [sl̩ŋ] | [sl̩p] | [sl̩t] | [sl̩k] | [sl̩ts] | [sl̩ː] | [sɭ̍ː] |
| /hl/- | [xl̩ː] | [xl̩m] | [xl̩n] | [xl̩ŋ] | [xl̩p] | [xl̩t] | [xl̩k] | [xl̩ts] | [xl̩ː] | [xɭ̍ː] |
| /ll/- | [l̩ː][9] | [l̩ːm] | [l̩ːn] | [l̩ːŋ] | [l̩ːp] | [l̩ːt] | [l̩ːk] | [l̩ːts] | - | [ɭ̍ː][10] |
| Nucleus /ll/ | -/∅/[11] | -/m/ | -/n/ | -/ŋ/ | -/p/ | -/t/ | -/k/ | -/ts/ | -/l/ | -/r/[12] |
| /∅ll/- | [l̩ː][13] | [l̩ːm] | [l̩ːn] | [l̩ːŋ] | [l̩ːp] | [l̩ːt] | [l̩ːk] | [l̩ːts] | - | [ɭ̍ː][14] |
| /mll/- | [ml̩ː] | [ml̩ːm] | [ml̩ːn] | [ml̩ːŋ] | [ml̩ːp] | [ml̩ːt] | [ml̩ːk] | [ml̩ːts] | - | [mɭ̍ː] |
| /nll/- | [nl̩ː] | [nl̩ːm] | [nl̩ːn] | [nl̩ːŋ] | [nl̩ːp] | [nl̩ːt] | [nl̩ːk] | [nl̩ːts] | - | [nɭ̍ː] |
| /pll/- | [pʰl̩ː] | [pʰl̩ːm] | [pʰl̩ːn] | [pʰl̩ːŋ] | [pʰl̩ːp] | [pʰl̩ːt] | [pʰl̩ːk] | [pʰl̩ːts] | - | [pʰɭ̍ː] |
| /bll/- | [bl̩ː] | [bl̩ːm] | [bl̩ːn] | [bl̩ːŋ] | [bl̩ːp] | [bl̩ːt] | [bl̩ːk] | [bl̩ːts] | - | [bɭ̍ː] |
| /tll/- | [tɬ̩ːʰ] | [tɬ̩ːʰm] | [tɬ̩ːʰn] | [tɬ̩ːʰŋ] | [tɬ̩ːʰp] | [tɬ̩ːʰt] | [tɬ̩ːʰk] | [tɬ̩ːʰts] | - | [tʰɭ̍ː] |
| /dll/- | [dɮ̍ː] | [dɮ̍ːm] | [dɮ̍ːn] | [dɮ̍ːŋ] | [dɮ̍ːp] | [dɮ̍ːt] | [dɮ̍ːk] | [dɮ̍ːts] | - | [dɭ̍ː] |
| /kll/- | [kʰl̩ː] | [kʰl̩ːm] | [kʰl̩ːn] | [kʰl̩ːŋ] | [kʰl̩ːp] | [kʰl̩ːt] | [kʰl̩ːk] | [kʰl̩ːts] | - | [kʰɭ̍ː] |
| /ɡll/- | [ɡl̩ː] | [ɡl̩ːm] | [ɡl̩ːn] | [ɡl̩ːŋ] | [ɡl̩ːp] | [ɡl̩ːt] | [ɡl̩ːk] | [ɡl̩ːts] | - | [ɡɭ̍ː] |
| /tsll/- | [tsl̩ː] | [tsl̩ːm] | [tsl̩ːn] | [tsl̩ːŋ] | [tsl̩ːp] | [tsl̩ːt] | [tsl̩ːk] | [tsl̩ːts] | - | [tsɭ̍ː] |
| /dzll/- | [dzl̩ː] | [dzl̩ːm] | [dzl̩ːn] | [dzl̩ːŋ] | [dzl̩ːp] | [dzl̩ːt] | [dzl̩ːk] | [dzl̩ːts] | - | [dzɭ̍ː] |
| /fll/- | [fl̩ː] | [fl̩ːm] | [fl̩ːn] | [fl̩ːŋ] | [fl̩ːp] | [fl̩ːt] | [fl̩ːk] | [fl̩ːts] | - | [fɭ̍ː] |
| /sll/- | [sl̩ː] | [sl̩ːm] | [sl̩ːn] | [sl̩ːŋ] | [sl̩ːp] | [sl̩ːt] | [sl̩ːk] | [sl̩ːts] | - | [sɭ̍ː] |
| /hll/- | [xl̩ː] | [xl̩ːm] | [xl̩ːn] | [xl̩ːŋ] | [xl̩ːp] | [xl̩ːt] | [xl̩ːk] | [xl̩ːts] | - | [xɭ̍ː] |
| /lll/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nucleus /lŋ/ | -/∅/ | -/m/ | -/n/ | -/ŋ/ | -/p/ | -/t/ | -/k/ | -/ts/ | -/l/ | -/r/ |
| /∅lŋ/-[15] | [l̩m] | [l̩mː] | [lm̩n] | [l̩nː] | [lm̩p] | [lm̩t] | [lm̩k] | [lm̩ts] | [lm̩l] | [l̩ɳ] |
| /mlŋ/- | [ml̩m] | [ml̩mː] | [mlm̩n] | [ml̩nː] | [mlm̩p] | [mln̩t] | [mlm̩k] | [mln̩ts] | [mlm̩l] | [ml̩ɳ] |
| /nlŋ/- | [nl̩m] | [nl̩mː] | [nlm̩n] | [nl̩nː] | [nlm̩p] | [nln̩t] | [nlm̩k] | [nln̩ts] | [nlm̩l] | [nl̩ɳ] |
| /plŋ/- | [pʰl̩m] | [pʰl̩mː] | [pʰlm̩n] | [pʰl̩nː] | [pʰlm̩p] | [pʰln̩t] | [pʰlm̩k] | [pʰln̩ts] | [pʰlm̩l] | [pʰl̩ɳ] |
| /blŋ/- | [bl̩m] | [bl̩mː] | [blm̩n] | [bl̩nː] | [blm̩p] | [bln̩t] | [blm̩k] | [bln̩ts] | [[blm̩l] | [bl̩ɳ] |
| /tlŋ/- | [tɬ̩ʰm] | [tɬ̩ʰmː] | [tɬʰm̩n] | [tɬ̩ʰnː] | [tɬʰm̩p] | [tɬʰn̩t] | [tɬʰm̩k] | [tɬʰn̩ts] | [tɬʰm̩l] | [tɬ̩ʰɳ] |
| /dlŋ/- | [dɮ̍m] | [dɮ̍mː] | [dɮm̩n] | [dɮ̍nː] | [dɮm̩p] | [dɮn̩t] | [dɮm̩k] | [dɮn̩ts] | [dɮm̩l] | [dɮ̍ɳ] |
| /klŋ/- | [kʰl̩m] | [kʰl̩mː] | [kʰlm̩n] | [kʰl̩nː] | [kʰlm̩p] | [kʰln̩t] | [kʰlm̩k] | [kʰln̩ts] | [kʰlm̩l] | [kʰl̩ɳ] |
| /ɡlŋ/- | [ɡl̩m] | [ɡl̩mː] | [ɡlm̩n] | [ɡl̩nː] | [ɡlm̩p] | [ɡln̩t] | [ɡlm̩k] | [ɡln̩ts] | [ɡlm̩l] | [ɡl̩ɳ] |
| /tslŋ/- | [tsl̩m] | [tsʰl̩mː] | [tsʰlm̩n] | [tsʰl̩nː] | [tsʰlm̩p] | [tʰsln̩t] | [tsʰlm̩k] | [tsʰln̩ts] | [tsʰlm̩l] | [tsʰl̩ɳ] |
| /dzlŋ/- | [dzl̩m] | [dzl̩mː] | [dzlm̩n] | [dzl̩nː] | [dzlm̩p] | [dzln̩t] | [dzlm̩k] | [dzln̩ts] | [dzlm̩l] | [dzl̩ɳ] |
| /flŋ/- | [fl̩m] | [fl̩mː] | [flm̩n] | [fl̩nː] | [flm̩p] | [fln̩t] | [flm̩k] | [fln̩ts] | [flm̩l] | [fl̩ɳ] |
| /slŋ/- | [sl̩m] | [sl̩mː] | [slm̩n] | [sl̩nː] | [slm̩p] | [sln̩t] | [slm̩k] | [sln̩ts] | [slm̩l] | [sl̩ɳ] |
| /hlŋ/- | [xl̩m] | [xl̩mː] | [xlm̩n] | [xl̩nː] | [xlm̩p] | [xln̩t] | [xlm̩k] | [xln̩ts] | [xlm̩l] | [xl̩ɳ] |
| /llŋ/- | [l̩ːm] | [l̩ːmː] | [lːm̩n] | [l̩ːnː] | [lːm̩p] | [lːn̩t] | [lːm̩k] | [lːn̩ts] | [lːm̩l] | [l̩ːɳ] |
| Nucleus /ŋ/ | -/∅/[16][17] | -/m/[18] | -/n/[19] | -/ŋ/ | -/p/ | -/t/ | -/k/ | -/ts/ | -/l/[20] | -/r/[21] |
| /∅ŋ/- | [ŋ̍ː][22] | [ŋ̍m] | [m̩n] | [ŋ̍ː][23] | [m̩p] | [n̩t] | [ŋ̍k] | [n̩ts] | [n̩l] | [ɳ̍ː][24] |
| /mŋ/- | [mn̩ː][25] | [mn̩m] | [mn̩ː][26] | [mn̩ː][27] | [m̩ːp] | [mn̩t] | [mn̩k] | [mn̩ts] | [mn̩l] | [mɳ̍ː] |
| /nŋ/- | [ŋ̍ː][28] | [ŋ̍ːm] | [ŋ̍ːn] | [nm̩ː] | [nm̩p] | [ŋ̍ːt] | [ŋ̍ːk] | [ŋ̍ːts] | [n̩ːl] | [ɳ̍ː][29] |
| /pŋ/- | [pʰn̩ː] | [pʰn̩m] | [pʰn̩ː] | [pʰŋ̍ː] | [pʰn̩p] | [pʰn̩t] | [pʰn̩k] | [pʰn̩ts] | [pʰn̩l] | [pʰɳ̍ː] |
| /bŋ/- | [bn̩ː] | [bn̩m] | [bn̩ː] | [bŋ̍ː] | [bn̩p] | [bn̩t] | [bn̩k] | [bn̩ts] | [bn̩l] | [bɳ̍ː] |
| /tŋ/- | [tʰm̩ː] | [tʰm̩ː] | [tʰm̩n] | [tʰŋ̍ː] | [tʰm̩p] | [tʰm̩t] | [tʰm̩k] | [tʰm̩ts] | [tʰm̩l] | [tʰɳ̍ː] |
| /dŋ/- | [dm̩ː] | [dm̩ː] | [dm̩n] | [dŋ̍ː] | [dm̩p] | [dm̩t] | [dm̩k] | [dm̩ts] | [dm̩l] | [dɳ̍ː] |
| /kŋ/- | [kʰm̩ː] | [kʰm̩ː] | [kʰm̩n] | [kʰŋ̍ː] | [kʰm̩p] | [kʰn̩t] | [kʰm̩k] | [kʰn̩ts] | [kʰn̩l] | [kʰɳ̍ː] |
| /ɡŋ/- | [ɡm̩ː] | [ɡm̩ː] | [ɡm̩n] | [ɡŋ̍ː] | [ɡm̩p] | [ɡn̩t] | [ɡm̩k] | [ɡn̩ts] | [ɡn̩l] | [ɡɳ̍ː] |
| /tsŋ/- | [tsʰm̩ː] | [tsʰm̩ː] | [tsʰm̩n] | [tsʰŋ̍ː] | [tsʰm̩p] | [tsʰm̩t] | [tsʰm̩k] | [tsʰm̩ts] | [tsʰm̩l] | [tsʰɳ̍ː] |
| /dzŋ/- | [dzm̩ː] | [dzm̩ː] | [dzm̩n] | [dzŋ̍ː] | [dzm̩p] | [dzm̩t] | [dzm̩k] | [dzm̩ts] | [dzm̩l] | [dzɳ̍ː] |
| /fŋ/- | [fn̩ː] | [fn̩m] | [fn̩ː] | [fŋ̍ː] | [fn̩p] | [fn̩t] | [fn̩k] | [fn̩ts] | [fn̩l] | [fɳ̍ː] |
| /sŋ/- | [sm̩ː] | [sm̩ː] | [sm̩n] | [sŋ̍ː] | [sm̩p] | [sm̩t] | [sm̩k] | [sm̩ts] | [sm̩l] | [sɳ̍ː] |
| /hŋ/- | [xm̩ː] | [xm̩ː] | [xm̩n] | [xŋ̍ː] | [xm̩p] | [xn̩t] | [xm̩k] | [xn̩ts] | [xn̩l] | [xɳ̍ː] |
| /lŋ/-[30] | [lm̩ː] | [lm̩ː] | [lm̩n] | [ln̩ː] | [lm̩p] | [lm̩t] | [lm̩k] | [lm̩ts] | [lm̩l] | [lɳ̍ː] |
| Nucleus /ŋl/ | -/∅/[31] | -/m/ | -/n/ | -/ŋ/ | -/p/ | -/t/ | -/k/ | -/ts/ | -/l/ | -/r/ |
| /∅ŋl/-[32] | [n̩l] | [nl̩m] | [nl̩n] | [nl̩ŋ] | [nl̩p] | [nl̩t] | [nl̩k] | [nl̩ts] | [n̩lː] | [n̩ɭ] |
| /mŋl/- | [mn̩l] | [mn̩lm] | [mn̩ln] | [mn̩lŋ] | [mn̩lp] | [mn̩lt] | [mn̩lk] | [mn̩lts] | [mn̩lː] | [mn̩ɭ] |
| /nŋl/- | [ŋ̍ːl] | [ŋ̍ːlm] | [ŋ̍ːln] | [ŋ̍ːlŋ] | [ŋ̍ːlp] | [ŋ̍ːlt] | [ŋ̍ːlk] | [ŋ̍ːlts] | [ŋ̍ːlː] | [ŋ̍ːɭ] |
| /pŋl/- | [pʰn̩l] | [pʰn̩lm] | [pʰn̩ln] | [pʰn̩lŋ] | [pʰn̩lp] | [pʰn̩lt] | [pʰn̩lk] | [pʰn̩lts] | [pʰn̩lː] | [pʰn̩ɭ] |
| /bŋl/- | [bn̩l] | [bn̩lm] | [bn̩ln] | [bn̩lŋ] | [bn̩lp] | [bn̩lt] | [bn̩lk] | [bn̩lts] | [bn̩lː] | [bn̩ɭ] |
| /tŋl/- | [tʰm̩l] | [tʰm̩lm] | [tʰm̩ln] | [tʰm̩lŋ] | [tʰm̩lp] | [tʰm̩lt] | [tʰm̩lk] | [tʰm̩lts] | [tʰm̩lː] | [tʰm̩ɭ] |
| /dŋl/- | [dm̩l] | [dm̩lm] | [dm̩ln] | [dm̩lŋ] | [dm̩lp] | [dm̩lt] | [dm̩lk] | [dm̩lts] | [dm̩lː] | [dm̩ɭ] |
| /kŋl/- | [kʰm̩l] | [kʰm̩lm] | [kʰm̩ln] | [kʰm̩lŋ] | [kʰm̩lp] | [kʰm̩lt] | [kʰm̩lk] | [kʰm̩lts] | [kʰm̩lː] | [kʰm̩ɭ] |
| /ɡŋl/- | [ɡm̩l] | [ɡm̩lm] | [ɡm̩ln] | [ɡm̩lŋ] | [ɡm̩lp] | [ɡm̩lt] | [ɡm̩lk] | [ɡm̩lts] | [ɡm̩lː] | [ɡm̩ɭ] |
| /tsŋl/- | [tsʰm̩l] | [tsʰm̩lm] | [tsʰm̩ln] | [tsʰm̩lŋ] | [tsʰm̩lp] | [tsʰm̩lt] | [tsʰm̩lk] | [tsʰm̩lts] | [tsʰm̩lː] | [tsʰm̩ɭ] |
| /dzŋl/- | [dzm̩l] | [dzm̩lm] | [dzm̩ln] | [dzm̩lŋ] | [dzm̩lp] | [dzm̩lt] | [dzm̩lk] | [dzm̩lts] | [dzm̩lː] | [dzm̩ɭ] |
| /fŋl/- | [fn̩l] | [fn̩lm] | [fn̩ln] | [fn̩lŋ] | [fn̩lp] | [fn̩lt] | [fn̩lk] | [fn̩lts] | [fn̩lː] | [fn̩ɭ] |
| /sŋl/- | [sm̩l] | [sm̩lm] | [sm̩ln] | [sm̩lŋ] | [sm̩lp] | [sm̩lt] | [sm̩lk] | [sm̩lts] | [sm̩lː] | [sm̩ɭ] |
| /hŋl/- | [xm̩l] | [xm̩lm] | [xm̩ln] | [xm̩lŋ] | [xm̩lp] | [xm̩lt] | [xm̩lk] | [xm̩lts] | [xm̩lː] | [xm̩ɭ] |
| /lŋl/- | [lm̩l] | [lm̩lm] | [lm̩ln] | [lm̩lŋ] | [lm̩lp] | [lm̩lt] | [lm̩lk] | [lm̩lts] | [lm̩lː] | [lm̩ɭ] |
| /Nucleus /ŋŋ/ | -/∅/[33] | -/m/ | -/n/ | -/ŋ/ | -/p/ | -/t/ | -/k/ | -/ts/ | -/l/ | -/r/[34] |
| /∅ŋŋ/- | [ŋ̍ː][35] | - | - | - | [m̩ːp] | [n̩ːt] | [ŋ̍ːk] | [n̩ːts] | [n̩ːl] | [ɳ̍ː][36] |
| /mŋŋ/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| /nŋŋ/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| /pŋŋ/- | [pʰn̩ː] | - | - | - | [pʰn̩ːp] | [pʰn̩ːt] | [pʰn̩ːk] | [pʰn̩ːts] | [pʰn̩ːl] | [pʰɳ̍ː] |
| /bŋŋ/- | [bn̩ː] | - | - | - | [bn̩ːp] | [bn̩ːt] | [bn̩ːk] | [bn̩ːts] | [bn̩ːl] | [bɳ̍ː] |
| /tŋŋ/- | [tʰm̩ː] | - | - | - | [tʰm̩ːp] | [tʰm̩ːt] | [tʰm̩ːk] | [tʰm̩ːts] | [tʰm̩ːl] | [tʰɳ̍ː] |
| /dŋŋ/- | [dm̩ː] | - | - | - | [dm̩ːp] | [dm̩ːt] | [dm̩ːk] | [dm̩ːts] | [dm̩ːl] | [dɳ̍ː] |
| /kŋŋ/- | [kʰm̩ː] | - | - | - | [kʰm̩ːp] | [kʰn̩ːt] | [kʰm̩ːk] | [kʰn̩ːts] | [kʰn̩ːl] | [kʰɳ̍ː] |
| /ɡŋŋ/- | [ɡm̩ː] | - | - | - | [ɡm̩ːp] | [ɡn̩ːt] | [ɡm̩ːk] | [ɡn̩ːts] | [ɡn̩ːl] | [ɡɳ̍ː] |
| /tsŋŋ/- | [tsʰm̩ː] | - | - | - | [tsʰm̩ːp] | [tsʰm̩ːt] | [tsʰm̩ːk] | [tsʰm̩ːts] | [tsʰm̩ːl] | [tsʰɳ̍ː] |
| /dzŋŋ/- | [dzm̩ː] | - | - | - | [dzm̩ːp] | [dzm̩ːt] | [dzm̩ːk] | [dzm̩ːts] | [dzm̩ːl] | [dzɳ̍ː] |
| /fŋŋ/- | [fn̩ː] | - | - | - | [fn̩ːp] | [fn̩ːt] | [fn̩ːk] | [fn̩ːts] | [fn̩ːl] | [fɳ̍ː] |
| /sŋŋ/- | [sm̩ː] | - | - | - | [sm̩ːp] | [sm̩ːt] | [sm̩ːk] | [sm̩ːts] | [sm̩ːl] | [sɳ̍ː] |
| /hŋŋ/- | [xm̩ː] | - | - | - | [xm̩ːp] | [xn̩ːt] | [xm̩ːk] | [xn̩ːts] | [xn̩ːl] | [xɳ̍ː] |
| /lŋŋ/- | [lm̩ː] | - | - | - | [lm̩ːp] | [lm̩ːt] | [lm̩ːk] | [lm̩ːts] | [lm̩ːl] | [lɳ̍ː] |
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Rimes consisting of a nucleus syllabic consonant followed by no coda, and a nucleus syllabic consonant followed by an identical coda consonant, are both realized as a long syllabic consonant. But tones may distinguish these from each other.
- ^ ^ Rimes consisting of /l̩∅/ are realized the same as rimes consisting of /l̩l̩∅/, but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ Rimes consisting of /l̩r/ are realized the same as rimes consisting of /l̩l̩r/, but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ ^ ^ /∅l̩∅, ∅l̩l̯, l̯l̩∅, ∅l̩l̩∅/ are all realized as [l̩ː], but may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ ^ /∅l̩r, l̯l̩r, ∅l̩l̩r/ are all realized as [ɭ̍ː], but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ The body /∅ŋ̍l̩/ is in some cases realized the same as the body /n̯l̩/, but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ The body /∅l̩ŋ̍/ is in some environments realized the same as body /l̯ŋ̍/, but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ The rimes /ŋ̍∅/ and /ŋ̍ŋ̍∅/ are both realized as [ŋ̍ː], but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ The rimes /ŋ̍l̯/ and /ŋ̍l̩∅/ are in some environments realized the same, but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ Rimes consisting of /ŋ̍r/ are realized the same as rimes consisting of /ŋ̍ŋ̍r/, but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ ^ /∅ŋ̍∅, nŋ̍∅, ∅ŋ̍ŋ̍∅/ are all realized as [ŋ̍ː], but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ ^ /∅ŋ̍r/, /nŋ̍r/ and /∅ŋ̍ŋ̍r/ are all realized as [ɳ̍ː], but they may be distinguished by tone.
- ^ ^ ^ /mŋ̍n/ and /mŋ̍ŋ/ are in complementary distribution, both being realized [mn̩ː˩]. /mŋ̍/ however may be distinguished by tone, being either [mn̩ː˩] or [mn̩ː˩˥].
The patterns found here are that /r/ makes the previous syllabic consonant retroflex, and a preceding /t/ or /d/ makes /l/ a lateral fricative. Otherwise /l/ does not change much. /ŋ/ on the other hand is more complicated. Generally it becomes [n] after a labial, and [m] after other consonants. When it precedes a consonant it generally becomes homorganic. When it has consonants on both sides, that call for different nasals, usually the onset consonant decides the realization of /ŋ/. But if the onset consonant is velar, or the coda is /ŋ̑/, then it will usually be homorganic with the coda consonant. /l̩l̩/ and /ŋ̍ŋ̍/ are realized the same as /l̩/ respectively /ŋ̍/, only with length added when their counterparts would otherwise be short. When it comes to /l̩ŋ̍/ and /ŋ̍l̩/, the nasal changes the same ways as the single /ŋ̍/ does next to the onset or coda consonant. In both of these phonemic nucleuses, usually the nasal stays syllabic while the lateral will be non-syllabic.
Allotones
Inng has pitch accent, but the word tone is used throughout this article for allophonic pitch level or contour. The phonemic pitch accents are high, low, and lack of accent. All three options may be found in open syllables, while closed syllables are unaccented. Closed syllable in this case means a syllable with a phonemic coda. A syllable that has for example the nucleus /al/ and no coda is considered an open syllable when the /l/ is a part of the nucleus, even though it would be realized as a non-syllabic consonant. Syllables containing no voiced phones (having [ɬ̩(ː)(ʰ)] in the nucleus) are considered to be accentless.
A nucleus consisting of a single phoneme may have one of the tones [˥, ˥˩, ˩˥, ˩], and a nucleus consisting of two phonemes may have one of the tones [˥˩˥, ˥˩˩, ˩˩˥, ˩]. Otherwise they have completely separate sets of tones, except for that both may have [˩]. For this reason tone distinguishes nucleuses consisting of a single phoneme, from nucleuses consisting of two phonemes, even when they are both realized as long. However, because both may have [˩], nucleus consonants are in complementary distribution with coda consonants when preceded by a true vowel and when the syllable has low pitch.
The following table shows tone realizations. The rows show different types of syllables, where N stands for nucleus, U for unvoiced consonant, and V for voiced consonant. Syllables marked with ˥ or ˩ in the phonemic representation are syllables with high or low pitch accent. Unmarked syllables are accentless. The columns stand for the syllable's position in a sentence. The _ stands for the position of the given syllable, and the symbols on both sides of it represent the tone height of the surrounding syllables:
- ∅ to the left means that the given syllable is utterance initial.
- ∅ to the right means that the syllable is utterance final.
- H to the left means that the syllable is preceded by a syllable ending with a voiceless consonant or a vowel ending with high pitch ([˥, ˥˩˥, ˩˥, ˩˩˥]).
- H to the right means the the syllable is followed by a syllable beginning with an unvoiced consonant or a vowel beginning with high pitch ([˥, ˥˩˥, ˥˩, ˥˩˩]).
- L to the left means the syllable is preceded by a syllable ending with a voiced consonant or a vowel ending with low pitch ([˥˩, ˥˩˩, ˩]).
- L to the right means that the syllable is followed by a syllable beginning with a voiced consonant or a vowel beginning with low pitch ([˩˥, ˩˩˥, ˩]).
| Syllable type | ∅ _ ∅ | ∅ _ H | ∅ _ L | H _ ∅ | H _ H | H _ L | L _ ∅ | L _ H | L _ L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /N/ | [N˥] | [N˩] | [N˥] | [N˥˩] | [N˩] | [N˩˥] | [N˩] | ||
| /N˥/ | [N˥] | [N˩˥] | |||||||
| /N˩/ | [N˩] | [N˥˩] | [N˩] | ||||||
| /NU/ | [NU˥] | [NU˩˥] | |||||||
| /NV/ | [NV˩] | [NV˥˩] | [NV˩] | ||||||
| /UN/ | [UN˥] | [UN˥˩] | [UN˥] | [UN˥˩] | [UN˥] | [UN˥˩] | |||
| /UN˥/ | [UN˥] | ||||||||
| /UN˩/ | [UN˥˩] | ||||||||
| /UNU/ | [UNU˥] | ||||||||
| /UNV/ | [UNV˥˩] | ||||||||
| /VN/ | [VN˩] | [VN˩˥] | [VN˩] | [VN˩˥] | [VN˩] | [VN˩˥] | [VN˩] | ||
| /VN˥/ | [VN˩˥] | ||||||||
| /VN˩/ | [VN˩] | ||||||||
| /VNU/ | [VNU˩˥] | ||||||||
| /VNV/ | [VNV˩] | ||||||||
| Syllable type | ∅ _ ∅ | ∅ _ H | ∅ _ L | H _ ∅ | H _ H | H _ L | L _ ∅ | L _ H | L _ L |
| /NN/ | [NN˩] | [NN˩˩˥] | [NN˩] | [NN˥˩˩] | [NN˥˩˥] | [NN˥˩˩] | [NN˩] | [NN˩˩˥] | [NN˩] |
| /NN˥/ | [NN˩˩˥] | [NN˥˩˥] | [NN˩˩˥] | ||||||
| /NN˩/ | [NN˩] | [NN˥˩˩] | [NN˩] | ||||||
| /NNU/ | [NNU˩˩˥] | [NNU˥˩˥] | [NNU˩˩˥] | ||||||
| /NNV/ | [NNV˩] | [NNV˥˩˩] | [NNV˩] | ||||||
| /UNN/ | [UNN˥˩˩] | [UNN˥˩˥] | [UNN˥˩˩] | [UNN˥˩˥] | [UNN˥˩˩] | [UNN˥˩˥] | [UNN˥˩˩] | ||
| /UNN˥/ | [UNN˥˩˥] | ||||||||
| /UNN˩/ | [UNN˥˩˩] | ||||||||
| /UNNU/ | [UNNU˥˩˥] | ||||||||
| /UNNV/ | [UNNV˥˩˩] | ||||||||
| /VNN/ | [VNN˩] | [VNN˩˩˥] | [VNN˩] | [VNN˩˩˥] | [VNN˩] | [VNN˩˩˥] | [VNN˩] | ||
| /VNN˥/ | [VNN˩˩˥] | ||||||||
| /VNN˩/[37] | [VNN˩] | ||||||||
| /VNNU/ | [VNNU˩˩˥] | ||||||||
| /VNNV/ | [VNNV˩] | ||||||||
| Syllable type | ∅ _ ∅ | ∅ _ H | ∅ _ L | H _ ∅ | H _ H | H _ L | L _ ∅ | L _ H | L _ L |
^ Syllables of the type /VNN˩/ are in complementary distribution with /VN˩/ syllables.
Orthography
The Inng people themselves were illiterate, so there is no native Inng orthography. There is however a romanization, which is partly based on phonemic representation, partly on phonetic representation, and part of it is based on other spelling conventions.
| Consonants | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labial | Alveolar | Back | ||||
| Nasals | /m/ <m> |
/n/ <n> |
/ŋ/ <ng> | |||
| Syllabic nasals | [m̩] <m> |
[n̩] <n> |
[ŋ̍] <n, ng> | |||
| Plosives | /p/ <p> |
/b/ <b> |
/t/ <t> |
/d/ <d> |
/k/ <k> |
/ɡ/ <g> |
| Affricates | /ts/ <z> |
/dz/ <j> |
||||
| Fricatives | /f/ <f> |
/s/ <s> |
/h/ <h> |
|||
| Approximant | /l/ <l> |
|||||
| Syllabic approximant | /l̩/ <l> |
|||||
| Vowels | Close | Mid | Open | |||
| /i/ <i> |
/u/ <u> |
/ə/ <e> |
/a/ <a> |
|||
Pitch accent and diacritics
- High pitch is marked with an acute accent (◌́).
- Low pitch is marrked with a grave accent (◌̀).
- Accentless syllables with a nucleus consisting of two identical phonemes, or vowel + syllabic consonant, are marked with dot below (◌̣).
- Accentless syllables with a nucleus consisting of syllabic consonant + vowel, and lacking an onset consonant, are marked with breve (◌̆).
- Other accentless syllables (including all syllables with a single nucleus) are unmarked.
For the placement of the diacritic, see Nucleuses below.
Syllabic nasals
The syllabic nasal /ŋ/ is written with <m> when it is realized as [m, m̩], and <ng> when realized as [ŋ, ŋ̍] but not followed by a velar coda consonant. In all other cases it is written <n>.
Grammar
Morphology
Inng has no affixation beside the genitive clitic, so this section explains th
Parts of speech
Nouns
Nouns in Inng have no gender or any kind of noun classes. Inng does not mark case in any way either.
Number
Number is seldom marked in Inng. But a noun can be pluralized by preceding it with the word nngz (number).
Genitives
Only accentless roots of the form (O)N(N) are marked with the genitive clitic. The clitic takes the form of the suffix -t when attaching to roots of the form (O)N and NN. When attached to roots of the form ONN, it is expressed as high pitch.
