Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

A forum for all topics related to constructed languages
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

p t̪ k
p̚ t̪̚ k̚
t̪͡s̪ t͡s
s̪ s
f θ x
m n
v l r j

i u
ɪ ʊ
e o
ɛ ɔ
æ

ei ou
ɛɪ ɔʊ
æi

Vowels, including diphthongs, can be short or long, and consonants can be (non-)geminated.

Maximal syllable structure: CVCCC.

A syllable/word can end in a non-released consonant, a short released consonant, and a gemenated released consonant.

There is an ablaut where each root vowel has three versions: higher, lower, and diphthong.

i e ei
ɪ ɛ ɛɪ
e æ æi
u o ou
ʊ ɔ ɔʊ

Unstressed syllables have an ATR harmony and can have either +ATR vowels i u e o æ or -ATR vowels ɪ ɛ ʊ ɔ [ɑ]*, based on the root vowels.

*[ɑ] does not appear in roots and can thus be seen as a -ATR realization of the archiphoneme /A/.

The stress falls on the first syllable with a coda, i.e. stressed syllables must have a coda.

Vowel length does not change in ablaut.
Long vowels cannot precede geminates but they can precede consonant clusters.
Unstressed pretone syllables cannot have long vowels, as they cannot have codas.
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

The vowel system of the night

i i: u u:
e e: o o:
ɛ ɛ: ɔ ɔ:
æ a: ɑ

There is a partial ATR harmony /e e: o o: æ/ appear only in +ATR words while /ɛ ɛ: ɔ ɔ: ɑ/ appear only in -ATR words.
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
Creyeditor
MVP
MVP
Posts: 5091
Joined: 14 Aug 2012 19:32

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Creyeditor »

I was thinking of a language with height-based vowel harmony and a German-like vowel system. Suffixes have high vowels after high vowel roots and non-high vowels after non-high vowel roots. Tenseness, backness and rounding stay constant, except that /ə/ and /a/ are re-paired with /i/ and /ɪ/. The vowel system is:

/i y u/ high, tense
/ɪ ʏ ʊ/ high, lax
/e ø ə o/ non-high, tense
/ɛ œ ɑ ɔ/ non-high, lax

Syllable structure is CV on the surface, consonant clusters are repaired by echo-vowel epenthesis. Consonants are:

/m n/
/p b t d k g/
/f s z h/
/w l j/

Nouns can be marked for status as either attributive or construct.

min-ɪ
night-ATTR
dark, at night

peb-a
day-ATTR
bright, in bright daylike

min-ɪ peb-e
night-ATTR day-CONSTR
dark day

peb-a min-i
day-ATTR night-CONSTR
bright night

Verbs are marked for mood, subject agreement and modality and voice.

tyd-ɪ-zi-kʊ-gʏ
exist-IRR-CAUS-2SG.PASS-Q
Would you appear?

fos-ɛ-zə-kɔ-gœ
not_exist-IRR-CAUS-2SG.PASS-Q
Would you vanish?
Creyeditor
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 :deu: 2 :eng: 3 :idn: 4 :fra: 4 :esp:
:con: Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
[<3] Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics [<3]
User avatar
Shemtov
runic
runic
Posts: 3283
Joined: 29 Apr 2013 04:06

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Shemtov »

An inventory for Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ /zɛ̃˩.kʰo̰˦˥.gã̃˩˧/, a sister language to my Qíʳ Bȁˀ language language complex (AKA Qíʳ Bȁˀ Gàˀⁿ AKA Kyirbatic), and thus a part of the wider Kano-Kyirbatian Family, being of the Kyirbato-Zenkokian branch; Note the family is based on Sino-Tibetan, Kanic being a Chinese equivalent, Kyirbatian being a Bodic/Tibetic equivalent and Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ being based on Burmese):

/p pʰ b t tʰ d t͡ʃ t͡ʃʰ d͡ʒ k kʰ g/ <p hp b t ht d c hc j k hk g>
/m ʰm mʱ n ʰn nʱ ɲ ʰɲ ɲʱ ŋ ʰŋ/ <m hm mh n hn nh ny hny nyh ng hng>
/θ ð s z ʃ ʒ x h/ <th dh s z sh zh kh h>
/l j w/ <l y w>

/i u e o ɛ ɔ a/ <i u e o ɛ ɔ a>
/i: oi ɛi ai/ <ii oi ei ai>
/u: eu ɔu au/ <uu eu ou au>
All vowels may be nasalized, shown by an <ŋ> after the vowel.

/V˩ V˥ V˩˧ V˥˧ V̰˦˥/ <V V́ V̌ V̂ Ṽ>
Phonotactics: (C)(j/w)V
/j/ can only follow labials. /w/ cannot follow post-alveolars or palatals.
Nasal vowels cannot have the falling tone, except after an initial /w/, and diphthongs and long vowels can only have low and high tone (Yes, I know that's weird, but there is a diachronic explanation, given the exact history of tonogenesis).
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
User avatar
Arayaz
roman
roman
Posts: 1221
Joined: 07 Sep 2022 00:24
Location: Just south of the pin-pen merger
Contact:

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Arayaz »

Proto-Western:

/p t c k q/
/p͡f ʦ t͡ɬ/
/m~ɱ n ɲ~ŋ~ɴ/
/f s ɬ ç~x/
/r l j/

/i/
/e o~w/
/a~ɑ/

ç > x before or after [q], [ɴ], [ɑ], [o].
ŋ > ɲ before [c], [ç], and [j].
ŋ > ɴ before [q].
m > ɱ before [f].
n > ŋ, ɲ, and ɴ before velar, palatal, uvular consonants respectively.
o > w before or after any vowel other than /o/.
i > j before or after any vowel other than /i/.
(oi > oj, io > iw)
i > ɨ after [q].
a > ɑ after [q].
Proud member of the myopic-trans-southerner-Viossa-girl-with-two-cats-who-joined-on-September-6th-2022 gang

:con: Ruykkarraber languages, Izre, Ngama, Areyaxi languages, ???, 2c2ef0
my garbage

she/her
User avatar
Creyeditor
MVP
MVP
Posts: 5091
Joined: 14 Aug 2012 19:32

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Creyeditor »

What about a language that primarily distinguishes laminal vs. apical and sibilant vs. non-sibilant at dental, alveolar and post-alveolar PoAs?

/θ̺ θ̻ θ̠ ç̟ ɻ̝̊ ç/
/s̪ s̻ s̺ s̻ ʂ ɕ/

The language could have similar PoA distinctions in stops, laterals, and nasals. Maybe plus /m p k w j/ and a minimal vowel system /a i u/.
Creyeditor
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 :deu: 2 :eng: 3 :idn: 4 :fra: 4 :esp:
:con: Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
[<3] Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics [<3]
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

Haven't made an inventory in absolutely forever so threw this together:

Code: Select all

m       n
        tʰ  
        t       k   ʔ
        t͡sʰ
        t͡s  t͡ʃ
    θ   s   ʃ   x   h
    ð   z   
        t͡ɬʰ
ʍ       ɬ
w       l   j
The romo is:

/m n/ m n
/tʰ t͡sʰ t͡ɬʰ/ t ts tł
/t t͡s t͡ʃ k ʔ/ d dz j g ’
/ʍ θ ɬ s ʃ x h/ wh þ ł s sh x h
/w ð l z j/ w đ l z y

Vowels? Don't know her
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

The phonology of this night
It could be called Męwkí [mõwt͡ɕɪ˥] language.

p t t͡ɕ k ʔ
ʙ ɾ (intervocally only)
s ɕ h
m n
j w

- partial complementary distribution between palatals and velars or alveolars

Mandarin-ish vowel inventory
i u
ə (allophones [e] and [o])
ɑ (ɒ?)
- and their nasal counterparts

a simplish tone system: low/mid, high, low with a creaky voice

(s)CV(C)
allowed codas: ʔ s ɕ h j w
Last edited by Omzinesý on 03 Dec 2022 06:00, edited 1 time in total.
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

The phonology of Éewıyu’ush, the lang I’m winging for Lexember:

/n/ n
/p t k ʔ/ p t k ’
/t͡n t͡s t͡ɬ t͡ʃ/ tn ts tł ch
/s ɬ ʃ h/ s l sh h
/w l j/ w l y

/e i o u/ e ı o u

I didn’t come up with the phonology, it was given to me by fellow conlangers as a stereotype of what I’d come up with.

Admittedly, it really is quite SAD (Standard Average Des) so I’m embracing it to make a parodylang of my own conlanging style.

Look at me, I’m so meta.
Porphyrogenitos
sinic
sinic
Posts: 401
Joined: 21 Jul 2012 08:01
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Porphyrogenitos »

Not a remotely original inventory, but I was thinking of doing something with one of Hyman's (2008) hypothetically possible minimal phoneme inventories, by combining it with a (C)V - or perhaps CV? - syllable structure and the basic 3-vowel system, thus giving just 21 or even 18 syllables.

/a i u/

/m n/
/p t/
/s/
/l/

Now, with such a simple phoneme inventory, you might be tempted to go the route of giving the language a similarly minimal grammar, a creole-like analytic system. But I feel like it would be an interesting challenge to try to implement a system of morphophonological alternations, perhaps in an agglutinative or synthetic morphology. Maybe I would even use the following system, which is made up of two series of three consonants at both places of articulation, in order to create some kind of consonant gradation system:

/m n/
/p t/
/b d/

Maybe something like:

"Base" gradation / "Hard" gradation / "Nasal" gradation

m / b / m
n / d / n
p / p / b
t / t / d
b / p / m
d / t / n

Another thing I am thinking of is that, in order to extend the number of possible contrasts, roots could take the form of CVCVC-, with a final C that only surfaces in inflected forms.
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

(1) p t t͡ʂ k kʷ q qʷ ʔ
(2) f θ x xʷ χ χʷ h
(3) s ʂ
(4) v ð ɻ ɣ ɣʷ ʁ ʁʷ
(5) l r

i u
ə
æ ɑ

Syllable
(3)(2/3)(4/5)V(2/3/5)(1)(3)
*V can be dropped in some environments

Dorsal harmony
It the world has vulars /q χ ʁ/ or retroflexes /t͡ʂ ʂ/
1. velars /k x ɣ/ became respective uvulars
2. Vowels get -ART values /æ/ -> [ɛ], /i/ -> [ï], /u/ -> [ɔ], /ə/ -> [ɜ] (ɑ does not have notable change.)
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

p t tˡ t͡ɕ k
b d dˡ g
f s ɕ h
v z
l r
j

Palatals /t͡ɕ ɕ j/ appear only before front vowels. Here /a/ is not a front vowel. /t͡ɕ j/ derive from the front-vocalic allophones of the old /k/ and /g/. Modern /k/ and /g/ before front vowels derive from old /x/ and /ɣ/ which merged with /k/and /g/. The history of /ɕ/ is still unclear.

y i u
ø e o
a

There is a vowel harmony. /i, e/, /y, ø/, and /u, o/ cannot appear in the same word. /a/ is neutral and can cooccure with all vowels. It has allophones [ɶ] and [ɒ] in unstressed syllables. It triggers unrounded front vowels /i, e/.

(C)V(:)(C)(C)(C)

Both vowels and consonants can be geminated.
There are several allowed coda clusters.
The laterally released consonants are the innovation of this phonology. They behave like single consonants, which is the most evident in the onset.

Much like this one
Omzinesý wrote: 03 Dec 2022 04:45 The phonology of this night
It could be called Męwkí [mõwt͡ɕɪ˥] language.

p t t͡ɕ k ʔ
ʙ ɾ (intervocally only)
s ɕ h
m n
j w

- partial complementary distribution between palatals and velars or alveolars

Mandarin-ish vowel inventory
i u
ə (allophones [e] and [o])
ɑ (ɒ?)
- and their nasal counterparts

a simplish tone system: low/mid, high, low with a creaky voice

(s)CV(C)
allowed codas: ʔ s ɕ h j w
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

Still one more

I'm stealing ideas from Mandarin. (Mostly discarded) ideas from DesEsseintes's Enello thread also inspired me.

p t c k
t l cʎ kʟ
b d ɟ g
dl ɟʎ gʟ
m n
s
z
l j
(The consonant inventory is a bit stop-heavy. More fricatives might balance it.)

- Velars don't appear before /i/ or /y/.
- Palatals don't appear before /u/.


Stops with a lateral release behave like consonants, unlike clusters.

i y u
ɘ
ɑ ɒ

Diphthongs: non-high + high
These differ from their underlying forms:
/əi/ = [ei]
/əu/ = [ou]
/əy/ = [øy]
/ɒy/ = [ɶy]

Word pattern:
CV(CV)n(C)

As you see, no consonant clusters are allowed.
Consonants and vowels can be lengthened/geminated, except word-initial consonants.

Non-closed vowels are fronted [e a ɶ] when preceded by palatals.

Geminated /s:/ and /z:/ realize as geminates [t͡s:] and [d͡z:].
Sibilants might be palatalized before /i/ or /y/ but it is optional.

Probably a Somali-style simple pitch accent system. Every word can have a high tone on only one vocalic segment, but it doesn't have to.
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

Inspired by Fuheko 3.0, probably for a Híí dialect or Híí-adjacent language:

Code: Select all

 m   n
     t           k   ’
(f)  þ   s   sh      h
 v   ð   r   y   

 u   e   į   i   a
There should be lots of endings like -yeðð’e.
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Omzinesý »

Omzinesý wrote: 18 Dec 2022 19:39 Still one more

I'm stealing ideas from Mandarin. (Mostly discarded) ideas from DesEsseintes's Enello thread also inspired me.

p t c k
t l cʎ kʟ
b d ɟ g
dl ɟʎ gʟ
m n
s
z
l j
(The consonant inventory is a bit stop-heavy. More fricatives might balance it.)

- Velars don't appear before /i/ or /y/.
- Palatals don't appear before /u/.


Stops with a lateral release behave like consonants, unlike clusters.

i y u
ɘ
ɑ ɒ

Diphthongs: non-high + high
These differ from their underlying forms:
/əi/ = [ei]
/əu/ = [ou]
/əy/ = [øy]
/ɒy/ = [ɶy]

Word pattern:
CV(CV)n(C)

As you see, no consonant clusters are allowed.
Consonants and vowels can be lengthened/geminated, except word-initial consonants.

Non-closed vowels are fronted [e a ɶ] when preceded by palatals.

Geminated /s:/ and /z:/ realize as geminates [t͡s:] and [d͡z:].
Sibilants might be palatalized before /i/ or /y/ but it is optional.

Probably a Somali-style simple pitch accent system. Every word can have a high tone on only one vocalic segment, but it doesn't have to.
Editing this
- implosives added
- palatals are now a version of dentals instead of velars

m n ɳ ŋ
p t k
b d g
ɓ ɗ
t͡s t͡ɕ
d͡z d͡ʑ
ɗ͡z ɗ͡ʑ
f s ɕ
l ʎ ʟ
j ɣ

Other lects pronouns the laterals as /ɾ lʲ lˠ/ respectively.

Dental affricates are palatalized before high front vowels, as well as /s/. Palatals don't appear before /u/.

i y u
ɘ
ɑ ɒ

Diphthongs: non-high + high
These differ from their underlying forms:
/əi/ = [ei]
/əu/ = [ou]
/əy/ = [øy]

All vowels except /ɒ/ can appear both long and short. Diphthongs are considered long.
Long vowels cannot precede geminates, however.
/ɒ/ appears only long except before a geminate.

Word pattern:
CV(CV)n(C)

All non-initial consonants can be geminated.

Are allowed as geminates.
/bp td dt͡s dt͡ɕ gk/

Accent
An accent domain, which can last between zero and all syllables of the word but must be continuous, has a higher pitch than the other syllables. There cannot be more than one of these accent domains.
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

Trying for the millionth time to get back into Híí diachronics and below is the latest version of the Late Híí phoneme inventory. Late Híí is the immediate predecessor of the modern Central
Híí dialects, including Híí Proper and River Híí. High Híí, a ceremonial version of Híí Proper retains some of the features of Late Híí that have been lost in the vernacular.

/m n ñ/ m n ñ
/b t t͡s t͡ɬ t͡ʃ g ʔ/ b t ts tł č g ’
/ɸ s ʃ ɬ h/ f s š ł h
/z ʒ l ʎ/ z ž l j
/j w/ y w
/a e i ə/ a e i ə
/aː eː iː/ aa ee ii
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

Gþúúłu, which started off as a joke but is now an absolute mess of consonant alternations and gradations, has the following inventory (no IPA, sorry):

Code: Select all

m   n           ñ   ng
p   t   tł  c   č   k   ’
p’  t’  tł’ c’  č’  k’ 
b   d   dl  dz  j   g
f   þ   ł   s   š       h
    ð   l   z   ž       ɦ
w   r           y

a e i o u + length
User avatar
Man in Space
roman
roman
Posts: 1304
Joined: 03 Aug 2012 08:07
Location: Ohio

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by Man in Space »

Gþúúłu fþagn?
Twin Aster megathread

AVDIO · VIDEO · DISCO

CC = Common Caber
CK = Classical Khaya
CT = Classical Ĝare n Tim Ar
Kg = Kgáweq'
PB = Proto-Beheic
PO = Proto-O
PTa = Proto-Taltic
STK = Sisỏk Tlar Kyanà
Tm = Təmattwəspwaypksma
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

Man in Space wrote: 31 Dec 2022 19:07 Gþúúłu fþagn?
Yeah the name was indeed a Cthulhu joke.
User avatar
DesEsseintes
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4331
Joined: 31 Mar 2013 13:16

Re: Random phonology/phonemic inventory thread

Post by DesEsseintes »

I’m switching conlangs every 24-72 hours at the moment. Idea for an Arapahoesque lang with a three-vowel system and lots of complementary distributions.

The underlying consonant phonemes are:

|n|
|t k ʔ|
|g|
|s h|
|j w|

And they are subject to the following shifts:

Before i:

k → t͡ʃ
g → r
w → b

Before u:

n → m
h → ɸ

Yielding the following surface inventory

/m n/ m n
/t t͡ʃ k ʔ/ t ch k ’
/b g/ b g
/ɸ s h/ f s h
/r j w/ r y w

Vowels are /a i u/ with lots of length shenanigans and of course tone. No harmony though.
Post Reply