Table of Contents
- Phonology/Phonotactics/Accent
- Typology/Introduction
- Noun Basics
- Verb Basics
Phonology
Consonants
/m n ŋ~ŋ:/ m n ng
/p b t d tɕ dʑ k g/ p b t d ch j k g
/f s ɕ h/ f s sh h
/ʋ l r j/ v l r y~i
All consonants can be geminated unless word initially or finally, written double. /ʃ:/ /dʒ:/ and /tʃ:/ are written <ssh> <dj> and <cch>. Geminate consonants can exist in (intervocalic)clusters, provided that the other consonants in the cluster are short resonants.
Vowels
/i i: u u:/ i ī u ū
/e e: o o:/ e ē o ō
/a a:/ a ā
Note <ì> is used to mark an unaccented stressed /i/, which is important because unstressed /i/ collapses to [j] when adjacent to a vowel. <mia> = [mjà] whereas mìa = [mì.ə]
/aj ɛj ɔj ʊj/ ai ei oi ui (i is sometimes y)
/a:j e:j o:j/ āi ēi ōi
Phonotactics
The maximum syllable structure is CORVRCC
Where CO can be any consonant except for /ŋ/ and
CC can be any consonant except for /h/
and R is one of /m n l r ʋ j/.
Note: /t͡ɕ ɕ dʑ/ cannot precede a consonant in the same syllable.
Note2: /h ʋ r n m/ can be followed by a resonant in the onset except:
none can be followed by a nasal or /l/
nasals can only be followed by /j/
/r/ can only be followed by /j/ or /ʋ/
Allophony/pronunciation notes
/t d n l/ are dental [t̪ d̪ n̪ l̪]
Voiceless plosives are aspirated in the onset, unless following another non-plosive consonant
Voiced plosives are breathy voiced word initially or when preceding a long non high vowel
Geminate /ʋ l j h/ are realized as [v: ɮ̪: ʝ: x:]
/tj dj sj/ become [tɕ dʑ ɕ] when both are in the onset
All nasals are realized as [ŋ] before a velar consonant, and /Ng/ is realized as [ŋ:]
All nasals are realized as /ɲ/ before a palatal consonant, and /Ndʑ/ is realized as [ɲ:]
/i u e o a/ are realized as [ɪ ʊ ɛ ɔ ǝ] when short and unstressed
/ŋ/ can only exist in the coda
Pitch Accent
One syllable in each word receives an accent, either rising (market v́/v̂ for short/long vowels respectively in IPA and romanization) or low, (Unmarked in romanization, marked v̀/v̌ for in IPA). Accent is assigned as follows:
Roots/morphemes are either inherently accented (given a rising pitch) or unaccented (given a low pitch). The leftmost underlyingly accented syllable is surfaces as accented. If there is no underlyingly accented syllable, then the first syllable is given a low pitch. Roots can be accented on any syllable of the root.