So I at one point this year had an idea to made a language vaguely similar to Native American languages like Karuk, Dene, and Algonquian. I came up with a who system of nasal assimilation. However, I lost steam and gave up the idea. I thought that the nasal assimilation ideas weren't half bad though, so I'm gonna post them here in case anybody would like to use them. ^w^
Inventory:
/m n/
/m: n:/
/p t t∫ k/
/pʰ tʰ t∫ʰ kʰ/
/β s ∫ - h/ (I'm writing v s'times for beta because it's easier)
Vowels are /a e i o u/, and can be loong &or na̧salized. Three tones - hígh, mid, lòw.
Nasalization rules:
When a suffix is added to a root, nasalization can occur.
If the final nucleus is already nasalized, nothing occurs.
/kikį/ + /-na, -ma, -nna, -mma/ = /kikįna, kikįma, kikįnna, kikįmma/
If the nuclei is un-nasal then nasalization on the final root vowel will occur. This has an affect on the suffix's onset.
If the suffix is a long nasal (/m:/, /n:/), the vowel nasalization just shortens its consonant.
/kʰé/ + /nna, mma/ = /kʰę́na, kʰę́ma/
If the suffix is a short bilabial nasal, the nasalization makes it a fricative/ (/m/ -> /β/)
/kʰé/ + /ma/ = /kʰę́va/
If the suffix is w' a short dental nasal, the nasalization deletes the consonant. This can lead to several outcomes, based on the vowels of both itself and its host. (/n/ -> /Ø/)
If the root & suffix both share a vowel, the nasal is simply deleted.
/t∫ì/ + /nì/ = /t∫į̀ì/
/sa/ + /na/ = /sąa/
/kʰé/ + /ne/ = /kʰę́e/
If the root has a front vowel, but the suffix does not, a glide forms between them. (/n/ -> /Ø/ -> /j/)
/kʰé/ + /na/ = /kʰę́ja/
/kʰé/ + /nò/ = /kʰę́jò/
If the root has a back vowel, but the suffix does not, a glide/fricative forms between them. (/n/ -> /Ø/ -> /β/).
/su/ + /na/ = /sųva/
/su/ + /nì/ = /sųvì/
If the root has a central vowel, nothing happens. (/n/ -> /Ø/)
/sa/ + /nò/ = /sąò/
/sa/ + /nì/ = /sąì/
This is because each vowel can only be nasalized once.
And, once a vowel eats a nasal, other rules take over in its stead -
namely, labialization (CVmV, CunV, ConV) or palatalization (CinV, CenV).
A note:
/su/ + /ma/ = /sųva/
/su/ + /na/ = /sųva/
Some cool nasal assimilation I decided to abandon
- Creyeditor
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Re: Some cool nasal assimilation I decided to abandon
That looks like a cool pattern. Is there a similar pattern in some Algic language?
Creyeditor
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"Thoughts are free."
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Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics
Re: Some cool nasal assimilation I decided to abandon
I can't remember. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist anywhere.