Phonology
Consonants
(1) p t k q <p t k q>
(2) f θ s ɬ x χ <f th s lh kh qh>
(3) ʋ ð̞ l ɣ̞ ʁ <v d l g r>
/k, x, ɣ̞/ are post-palatals in front-vocalic environment.
All non-final syllables are open (C)(C)V.
Onset clusters are either stop + fricative ((1)(2), stop + approximant ((1)(3)), or stop fricative + approximant ((2)(3)).
Phonotactics
The last syllable can also have a coda, which can be
a) any consonant
b) a cluster of stop + approximant ((1)(3))
Vowels
i ɯ u <i y u>
(e ɤ o <î/ê ŷ/â û/ô)
æ ɑ ɒ <e a o>
Mid-vowels only appear in morpho-phonological processes.
Diphthongs do not appear.
Long vowels do not appear.
Suprasegmental features
Suprasegmental features
There are four suprasegmental features. They are mostly inflectional/derivational, but the first low-pitch domain is often lexically determined.
1) High-pitch domain
2) Glottalization
3) Nasalization
4) Vowel reduction
5) Vowel-rounding harmony
The four former ones can be described as
domains. Every word is shared in one, two, or three domains. Domains can consist of one or more vowels/syllables.
Every word has a peak domain. Words can also have a pre-peak domain and a post-peak domain, which are together called non-peak domains.
1) Pitch
Kfadipqh can be described as a pitch-accent system.
There are two levels of pitch: high <á> and low <a>. Every vowel has one.
The vowels in the peak domain always have the high tone. The vowels in the non-peak domains always have the low tone.
2) Glottalization
Glottalization is surely the easiest of the suprasegmental features. It is a binary feature of every word. There can be a glottal stop in the end of the peak domain. Glottalization is marked with the grave on the last vowel of the high-pitch domain, <à>, instead of the acute.
mógûpla
3) Nasalization
Every domain is either nasal or oral. Nasalization is not as limited as pitches. A three-domain word can have any of the eight combinations of nasalization: OOO; OON, ONO, NOO; ONN, NON, NNO; NNN. Non-nasal domains are far more frequent, though.
In a nasal domain, nasalization is very overwhelming. All vowels are nasalized. The consonants following nasals vowels are nasalized, too. That is, nasalization spreads to the onset of the first syllable of the following domain as well. The onset of the first syllable can never be nasal.
Edit:
I'm not sure how to mark nasalization.
I could go the Polish/Navajo way and have a small hook below the vowel.
At least /p/ and /t/ could be written <m> and <n> when nasalized.
4) Vowel reduction
Peak domains have six vowels:
i ɯ u <i y u>
æ ɑ ɒ <e a o>
Non-peak domains have nine vowels
i ɯ u <i y u>
e ɤ o <î/ê ŷ/â û/ô
æ ɑ ɒ <e a o>
No root lexeme has mid-vowels. They are created in morphophonological processes. In the process of vowel reduction high or near-low vowels become the corresponding mid-vowels. The original value is still marked and the ruducing is marked by the circumflex.
5) Vowel rounding harmony
Vowel rounding harmony can be seen as the fifth suprasegmental feature, but it is not based on the domains. A word cannot have both rounded and unrounded back-vowels. Affixes with back vowels have thus two allomorphs: a rounded one and an unrounded one.
More systematically presenting the suprasegmentals above
Code: Select all
Spreads to In peak In non-peak
the whole domain only domain only
domain
High pitch YES YES NO
Low pitch YES NO YES
Nasalization YES NO NO
Glottal stop NO ?* NO
Vowel reduction NO NO YES
Vowel harmony - NO NO
*The glottal stop is a possible border-line effect between the peak domain and the post-peak domain.
Vowel harmony affects words, not just domain.
Timing
In the basic typology, I think, Kfadipqh should be analized as a syllable timed language. Most syllables are open anyways. The last syllable can have a coda but it does not affect the timing of the syllable.
Edit: The last coda could even be analyzed as a very reduced syllable. Like in French, there is a quite clear schwa is the end of acceptable.