Difference between revisions of "Praseo phonology"

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% vim: ft=markdown fo=
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[[Category:Prasa]] [[Category:Praseo language]]
  
[[Category:Prasa]]
+
<span id="consonants"></span>
[[Category:Praseo language]]
+
= Consonants =
  
# Consonants
+
<span id="phoneme-set-and-standard-orthography"></span>
 +
== Phoneme set and standard orthography ==
  
## Phoneme set and standard orthography
+
The following chart gives all of the consonant phonemes in Praseo in the linguistic orthography, together with their core phonetic values.
  
The following chart gives all of the consonant phonemes in Praseo in the linguistic
+
{|
orthography, together with their core phonetic values.
+
!
 +
! Labial
 +
! Dental
 +
! Retroflex
 +
! Palatal
 +
! Velar
 +
|-
 +
| ''Voiceless stop''
 +
| ''p'' [p]
 +
| ''t'' [t]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| ''k'' [k]
 +
|-
 +
| ''Voiced stop''
 +
| ''b'' [b]
 +
| ''d'' [d]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| ''g'' [g]
 +
|-
 +
| ''Voiceless fricative''
 +
|
 +
| ''s'' [s]
 +
| ''ś'' [ʂ]
 +
| ''š'' [ɕ]
 +
| ''h'' [x]
 +
|-
 +
| ''Voiced fricative''
 +
|
 +
| ''z'' [z]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| ''Voiceless affricate''
 +
|
 +
| ''ts'' [ts]
 +
|
 +
| ''č'' [tɕ]
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| ''Voiced affricate''
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| ''j'' [dʑ]
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| ''Nasal''
 +
| ''m'' [m]
 +
| ''n'' [n]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| ''Liquid''
 +
|
 +
| ''l'' [l]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| ''r'' [r]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| ''Semivowel''
 +
| ''o'' [w]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| ''y'' [j]
 +
|
 +
|}
  
                        Labial      Dental      Retroflex      Palatal    Velar
+
The most peculiar aspect of the orthography is that the semivowel [w] is consistently rendered as ''o'', regardless of position in the word. Thus, the word ''oirde'' is [wirde], and ''taoma'' is [tawma]. The phoneme [j], on the other hand, is only spelled as ''y'' when it is a syllable onset; as the second part of a diphthong it’s spelled ''i'', giving ''yalu'' [jalu], but ''aisa'' [ajsa].
----                    -------    -------    ----------      --------    ------
 
*Voiceless stop*        *p* [p]     *t* [t]                                *k* [k]
 
*Voiced stop*          *b* [b]    *d* [d]                                *g* [g]
 
*Voiceless fricative*              *s* [s]     *ś* [ʂ]        *š* [ɕ]    *h* [x]
 
*Voiced fricative*                  *z* [z]
 
*Voiceless affricate*              *ts* [ts]                  *č* [tɕ]
 
*Voiced affricate*                                              *j* [dʑ]
 
*Nasal*                *m* [m]     *n* [n]
 
*Liquid*                            *l* [l]
 
                                    *r* [r]
 
*Semivowel*            *o* [w]                                *y* [j]
 
  
The most peculiar aspect of the orthography is that the semivowel [w] is consistently
+
<span id="vowels"></span>
rendered as *o*, regardless of position in the word. Thus, the word *oirde* is [wirde], and
+
= Vowels =
*taoma* is [tawma]. The phoneme [j], on the other hand, is only spelled as *y* when it is a
 
syllable onset; as the second part of a diphthong it's spelled *i*, giving *yalu* [jalu],
 
but *aisa* [ajsa].
 
  
# Vowels
+
Praseo has four oral vowels, three nasal vowels, and three diphthongs which can also be nasalized.
  
Praseo has four oral vowels, three nasal vowels, and three diphthongs which can also be
+
{|
nasalized.
+
!align="center"| Oral vowels
 +
!align="center"| Nasal vowels
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| i u
 +
|align="center"|
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| e
 +
|align="center"| ẽ [ɛ̃] õ [ɔ̃]
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| a
 +
|align="center"| ã [ã]
 +
|}
  
Oral vowels        Nasal vowels
+
<span id="diphthongs"></span>
-------------      --------------
+
== Diphthongs ==
    i      u
 
    e              ẽ [ɛ̃]    õ [ɔ̃]
 
        a              ã [ã]
 
  
## Diphthongs
+
{|
 +
!align="center"| Oral diphthongs
 +
!align="center"| Nasal diphthongs
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| ei [ej]
 +
|align="center"| ẽi [ɛ̃j]
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| eo [ew]
 +
|align="center"| ẽo [ɛ̃w]
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| ao [aw]
 +
|align="center"| ão [ãw]
 +
|}
  
Oral diphthongs       Nasal diphthongs
+
All of the diphthongs in Praseo are falling diphthongs, and the exact quality of the second part of the diphthong is not explicitly specified. I’ve shown them above as semivowels, but the second part of ''ei'' may be as low as [ɪ], and the second part of ''ao'' may be [ɔ]. In nasalized diphthongs, the nasalization generally holds throughout the nasalized syllable.
-----------------    -------------------
 
ei [ej]               ẽi [ɛ̃j]
 
eo  [ew]              ẽo [ɛ̃w]
 
ao [aw]              ão [ãw]
 
  
All of the diphthongs in Praseo are falling diphthongs, and the exact quality of the second
+
<span id="stress-placement"></span>
part of the diphthong is not explicitly specified. I've shown them above as semivowels, but
+
== Stress placement ==
the second part of *ei* may be as low as [ɪ], and the second part of *ao* may be [ɔ]. In
 
nasalized diphthongs, the nasalization generally holds throughout the nasalized syllable.
 
  
## Stress placement
+
Praseo has a very strong word-level stress, which is predictable based on the morphology and phonology of the word. Stress in a Praseo word falls on the ''penultimate'' syllable, unless:
 
 
Praseo has a very strong word-level stress, which is predictable based on the morphology and
 
phonology of the word. Stress in a Praseo word falls on the *penultimate* syllable, unless:
 
  
 
* The final syllable is morphologically marked as stressed (as in a few noun cases and verb forms)
 
* The final syllable is morphologically marked as stressed (as in a few noun cases and verb forms)
Line 65: Line 139:
 
In these cases, the final syllable is stressed.
 
In these cases, the final syllable is stressed.
  
Morphologically stressed final syllables are indicated with an acute accent on the vowel.
+
Morphologically stressed final syllables are indicated with an acute accent on the vowel. This is the only way to distinguish between, for example, ''razi'' [ˈra.zi] (“heads (nom.pl.)) and ''razí'' [raˈzi] (“head (construct sg.)). Other cases in which the final syllable is stressed are not marked, since the final stress can be inferred from the nasalization of the final vowel or the presence of a diphthong.
This is the only way to distinguish between, for example, *razi* [ˈra.zi] \("heads
 
(nom.pl.)") and *razí* [raˈzi] \("head (construct sg.)"). Other cases in which the final
 
syllable is stressed are not marked, since the final stress can be inferred from the
 
nasalization of the final vowel or the presence of a diphthong.
 
  
Because Praseo stress is so regular, it is not usually indicated in my phonetic
+
Because Praseo stress is so regular, it is not usually indicated in my phonetic transcriptions.
transcriptions.
 
  
# Book orthography
+
<span id="book-orthography"></span>
 +
= Book orthography =
  
The orthography given above is used for precise transliterations of Praseo, and is used
+
The orthography given above is used for precise transliterations of Praseo, and is used throughout this site and in the Praseo lexicon. However, a slightly different orthography is used for names and bits of text which occur in ''Storm Bride'' and other books featuring the Praseo language. (See [[Why I Use a Book Orthography]].)
throughout this site and in the Praseo lexicon. However, a slightly different orthography is
 
used for names and bits of text which occur in *Storm Bride* and other books featuring the
 
Praseo language. (See [[Why I Use a Book Orthography]].)
 
  
 
For the Praseo book orthography, the following substitutions are made:
 
For the Praseo book orthography, the following substitutions are made:
  
Standard orthography   Book orthography
+
{|
----------------------  ------------------
+
!align="center"| Standard orthography
    ś                         s
+
!align="center"| Book orthography
    š                         sh
+
|-
    č                         ch
+
|align="center"| ś
                            e
+
|align="center"| s
    ã                         a
+
|-
    õ                         o
+
|align="center"| š
 +
|align="center"| sh
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| č
 +
|align="center"| ch
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"|
 +
|align="center"| e
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| ã
 +
|align="center"| a
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| õ
 +
|align="center"| o
 +
|}
  
As a consequence of these substitutions, there are no diacritics found in the book
+
As a consequence of these substitutions, there are no diacritics found in the book orthography of Praseo: nasal vowels are not distinguished from oral vowels, and the phonemes ''s'' [s] and ''ś'' [ʂ] are not distinguished.
orthography of Praseo: nasal vowels are not distinguished from oral vowels, and the phonemes
 
*s* [s] and *ś* [ʂ] are not distinguished.
 
  
# Allophonic processes
+
<span id="allophonic-processes"></span>
 +
= Allophonic processes =
  
## Nasal place assimilation
+
<span id="nasal-place-assimilation"></span>
 +
== Nasal place assimilation ==
  
Sound changes early in the history of Praseo resulted in most coda nasals being lost and
+
Sound changes early in the history of Praseo resulted in most coda nasals being lost and converted to nasalization on the preceding vowel. However, when the coda nasal was immediately followed by an obstruent (stop or fricative), the nasal is retained in pronunciation and orthography, and is pronounced at the same place of articulation as the following stop. These homoorganic stops are always written with ''n'' except when followed by a labial, in which case they are written with ''m''.
converted to nasalization on the preceding vowel. However, when the coda nasal was
 
immediately followed by an obstruent (stop or fricative), the nasal is retained in
 
pronunciation and orthography, and is pronounced at the same place of articulation as the
 
following stop. These homoorganic stops are always written with *n* except when followed by
 
a labial, in which case they are written with *m*.
 
  
Orthography   Pronunciation
+
{|
-------------  ---------------
+
!align="center"| Orthography
    mb             [mb]
+
!align="center"| Pronunciation
    nd             [nd]
+
|-
                [ɳʂ]
+
|align="center"| mb
    nj             [ɲʑ]
+
|align="center"| [mb]
    ng             [ŋg]
+
|-
 +
|align="center"| nd
 +
|align="center"| [nd]
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"|
 +
|align="center"| [ɳʂ]
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| nj
 +
|align="center"| [ɲʑ]
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| ng
 +
|align="center"| [ŋg]
 +
|}
  
Vowels preceding such syllable-final nasals are still nasalized, but they are written
+
Vowels preceding such syllable-final nasals are still nasalized, but they are written without the tilde.
without the tilde.
 
  
## Nasal vowel spreading
+
<span id="nasal-vowel-spreading"></span>
 +
== Nasal vowel spreading ==
  
Vowel nasalization spreads to the left in Praseo until it meets a voiceless obstruent or a
+
Vowel nasalization spreads to the left in Praseo until it meets a voiceless obstruent or a word boundary. Thus a word with a final nasal vowel which does not contain a voiceless obstruent, the ''entire'' word may be nasalized. As suggested by the vowel chart above, vowels in Praseo are lowered under nasalization: ''i'' and ''e'' become '''', and ''u'' becomes ''õ''. This applies to allophonically nasalized vowels as well as underlying nasalized vowels; however, allophonically nasalized ''i'' and ''u'' are generally spelled using the underlying vowel, if it can be recovered.
word boundary. Thus a word with a final nasal vowel which does not contain a voiceless
 
obstruent, the *entire* word may be nasalized. As suggested by the vowel chart above, vowels
 
in Praseo are lowered under nasalization: *i* and *e* become **, and *u* becomes *õ*. This
 
applies to allophonically nasalized vowels as well as underlying nasalized vowels; however,
 
allophonically nasalized *i* and *u* are generally spelled using the underlying vowel, if it
 
can be recovered.
 
  
Orthography   Pronunciation   Remarks
+
{|
-------------  ---------------  --------
+
!align="center"| Orthography
ezande         [ɛ̃zãnde]       No vowels are written with the tilde; nasalization of preceding vowels is implied by the *n*.
+
!align="center"| Pronunciation
zulõ           [zɔ̃lɔ̃]         Nasalization spreads to first *u*, pronounced [ɔ̃], but the spelling from the root form *zulu* is maintained.
+
! Remarks
urhõ           [urxɔ̃]         Initial *u* is not nasalized, as the voiceless obstruent *h* blocks further nasalization.
+
|-
 +
|align="center"| ezande
 +
|align="center"| [ɛ̃zãnde]
 +
| No vowels are written with the tilde; nasalization of preceding vowels is implied by the ''n''.
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| zulõ
 +
|align="center"| [zɔ̃lɔ̃]
 +
| Nasalization spreads to first ''u'', pronounced [ɔ̃], but the spelling from the root form ''zulu'' is maintained.
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| urhõ
 +
|align="center"| [urxɔ̃]
 +
| Initial ''u'' is not nasalized, as the voiceless obstruent ''h'' blocks further nasalization.
 +
|}
  
## Coronal place assimilation
+
<span id="coronal-place-assimilation"></span>
 +
== Coronal place assimilation ==
  
Coronal obstruents (dental, retroflex, and palatal) assimilate for place across intervening
+
Coronal obstruents (dental, retroflex, and palatal) assimilate for place across intervening vowels. This place assimilation spreads leftward across vocoids, but stops when interrupted by a non-assimilating segment such as a non-coronal or a coronal liquid (''l'' or ''r'').
vowels. This place assimilation spreads leftward across vocoids, but stops when interrupted
 
by a non-assimilating segment such as a non-coronal or a coronal liquid (*l* or *r*).
 
  
A word such as *niśa* is pronounced [ɳiʂa], with the initial *n* assimilated to a retroflex
+
A word such as ''niśa'' is pronounced [ɳiʂa], with the initial ''n'' assimilated to a retroflex in accordance with the following ''ś''. This can apply to multiple segments across multiple syllables: the word ''dusiśa'' is [ɖuʂiʂa], with all three coronal obstruents pronounced as retroflex. Note, however, that this is a form of the word ''dusu'', which in its root form reveals that the underlying segments are non-retroflex, and the orthography reflects this, marking only the last ''ś'' in the word as retroflex. More generally, since ''ś'' is the only phonemic retroflex, there is no orthographic indication of retroflexion on the stops ''t'' or ''d'', and ''s'' is only written as the retroflex ''ś'' if it is phonemically retroflex.
in accordance with the following *ś*. This can apply to multiple segments across multiple
 
syllables: the word *dusiśa* is [ɖuʂiʂa], with all three coronal obstruents pronounced as
 
retroflex. Note, however, that this is a form of the word *dusu*, which in its root form
 
reveals that the underlying segments are non-retroflex, and the orthography reflects this,
 
marking only the last *ś* in the word as retroflex. More generally, since *ś* is the only
 
phonemic retroflex, there is no orthographic indication of retroflexion on the stops *t* or
 
*d*, and *s* is only written as the retroflex *ś* if it is phonemically retroflex.
 
  
The palatals *č*, *j*, and *š*, are also assimilated to other coronals. However, the
+
The palatals ''č'', ''j'', and ''š'', are also assimilated to other coronals. When the affricates ''č'' and ''j'' are assimilated to another place of articulation, they remain affricates: if an underlying ''č'' is assimilated to a dental, then it becomes ''ts'' (the affrication is lost). This can result in affricates such as [ʈʂ] and [ɖʐ] which do not otherwise occur in Praseo. However, if an underlying unaffricated stop such as ''t'' is assimilated to a palatal it becomes automatically affricated to ''č'' (a palatal affricate).
affrication of the stops *č* and *j* is entirely automatic: if an underlying *č* is
 
assimilated to a dental, then it becomes *t* (the affrication is lost), and if an underlying
 
*t* is assimilated to a palatal it becomes *č* (a palatal affricate).
 
  
 
Examples:
 
Examples:
  
Orthography   Pronunciation   Remarks
+
{|
-------------  ---------------  --------
+
!align="center"| Orthography
dusiśa         [ɖuʂiʂa]       Retroflex articulation spreads to the left from the underlying *ś*. Orthography indicates underlying form.
+
!align="center"| Pronunciation
ličitsu       [lititsu]       Underlying palatal *č* is assimilated to [t] and from following *ts*; affrication is lost. Orthography indicates underlying form.
+
! Remarks
nuči           [ɲutɕi]         Underlying *n* is assimilated to [ɲ] from following *č*
+
|-
 +
|align="center"| dusiśa
 +
|align="center"| [ɖuʂiʂa]
 +
| Retroflex articulation spreads to the left from the underlying ''ś''. Orthography indicates underlying form.
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| ličitsu
 +
|align="center"| [litsitsu]
 +
| Underlying palatal ''č'' is assimilated to [ts] from following ''ts''; affrication is preserved. Orthography indicates underlying form.
 +
|-
 +
|align="center"| nuči
 +
|align="center"| [ɲutɕi]
 +
| Underlying ''n'' is assimilated to [ɲ] from following ''č''
 +
|}
  
## Voice assimilation
+
<span id="voice-assimilation"></span>
 +
== Voice assimilation ==
  
Obstruent clusters in Praseo always agree in voice, and the first element in the cluster is
+
Obstruent clusters in Praseo always agree in voice, and the first element in the cluster is changed to agree in voice with the second. (This does not occur with clusters of obstruents and sonorants, however.) This occasionally generates phones which do not otherwise occur, such as the voiced retroflex spirant [ʐ], an allophone of ''ś'', or the voiced palatal fricative [ʑ], an allophone of ''š''.
changed to agree in voice with the second. (This does not occur with clusters of obstruents
 
and sonorants, however.) This occasionally generates phones which do not otherwise occur,
 
such as the voiced retroflex spirant [ʐ], an allophone of *ś*, or the voiced palatal
 
fricative [ʑ], an allophone of *š*.
 
  
## Affricate simplification
+
<span id="affricate-simplification"></span>
 +
== Affricate simplification ==
  
If an affricate occurs in a consonant cluster, it is reduced to its fricative part. The
+
If an affricate occurs in a consonant cluster, it is reduced to its fricative part. The spelling of the affricate is generally unchanged in this scenario. This includes clusters with sonorants, so that ''ačru'' is pronounced [aɕru].
spelling of the affricate is generally unchanged in this scenario. This includes clusters
 
with sonorants, so that *ačru* is pronounced [aɕru].
 
  
## Palatal absorption
+
<span id="palatal-absorption"></span>
 +
== Palatal absorption ==
  
When the finite verbal ending *-ya* is attached to a stem ending in a velar, the velar
+
When the finite verbal ending ''-ya'' is attached to a stem ending in a velar, the velar becomes palatalized (see below). The ''y'' of the verbal ending is often absorbed into this palatal, though in careful speech they may still be distinguished. It is always present in the orthography. Thus a work like ''ejya'' is usually pronounced simply [edʑa], but when enunciated carefully is [edʑja].
becomes palatalized (see below). The *y* of the verbal ending is often absorbed into this
 
palatal, though in careful speech they may still be distinguished. It is always present in
 
the orthography. Thus a work like *ejya* is usually pronounced simply [edʑa], but when
 
enunciated carefully is [edʑja].
 
  
# Morphophonemic alternations
+
<span id="morphophonemic-alternations"></span>
 +
= Morphophonemic alternations =
  
The following alternations began as allophonic alternations in an earlier stage of Praseo,
+
The following alternations began as allophonic alternations in an earlier stage of Praseo, but have become morphologically conditioned following the loss of some aspects of their conditioning environment. Unlike many of the allophonic alternations above, these alternations are always reflected in the orthography.
but have become morphologically conditioned following the loss of some aspects of their
 
conditioning environment. Unlike many of the allophonic alternations above, these
 
alternations are always reflected in the orthography.
 
  
## Palatalization
+
<span id="palatalization"></span>
 +
== Palatalization ==
  
The velars *k*, *g*, and *h* are palatalized to *č*, *j*, and *š* when they occur at the
+
The velars ''k'', ''g'', and ''h'' are palatalized to ''č'', ''j'', and ''š'' when they occur at the end of a stem, and one of the following affixes is attached to the stem:
end of a stem, and one of the following affixes is attached to the stem:
 
  
* The plural ending *-i*
+
* The plural ending ''-i''
* The feminine singular ending *-e*
+
* The feminine singular ending ''-e''
* The accusative endings *-ẽo* and *-ẽi*
+
* The accusative endings ''-ẽo'' and ''-ẽi''
* The finite verbal ending *-ya*
+
* The finite verbal ending ''-ya''
* The participles ending *-eo* and *-eśa*
+
* The participles ending ''-eo'' and ''-eśa''
  
Thus, we have the following forms derived from the word *aku* "knot":
+
Thus, we have the following forms derived from the word ''aku'' “knot”:
  
* aku *knot*
+
* aku ''knot''
* ači *knots*
+
* ači ''knots''
* ačẽo *knot (acc.sg.)*
+
* ačẽo ''knot (acc.sg.)''
* ačya *to tie*
+
* ačya ''to tie''
* ačeo *tying*
+
* ačeo ''tying''
  
However, as a trap for the unwary, it is *not* simply the case that these velars are
+
However, as a trap for the unwary, it is ''not'' simply the case that these velars are palatalized before any front vowel. The following front vowel affixes (among others) do ''not'' trigger palatalization:
palatalized before any front vowel. The following front vowel affixes (among others) do
 
*not* trigger palatalization:
 
  
* The instrumental plural *-ẽi*
+
* The instrumental plural ''-ẽi''
* The construct case endings *-ei* and **
+
* The construct case endings ''-ei'' and ''''
  
So for *aku* the following non-palatalized forms occur:
+
So for ''aku'' the following non-palatalized forms occur:
  
* akẽi *with knots (instr.pl)*
+
* akẽi ''with knots (instr.pl)''
* akí *knot (cons.sg)*
+
* akí ''knot (cons.sg)''
  
Throughout the rest of the grammar, affixes indicated whether or not they trigger
+
Throughout the rest of the grammar, affixes indicated whether or not they trigger palatalization when they are introduced.
palatalization when they are introduced.
 
  
## Affrication
+
<span id="affrication"></span>
 +
== Affrication ==
  
The dental stops *t* and *d* at the end of a stem are affricated into *ts* and *z*
+
The dental stops ''t'' and ''d'' at the end of a stem are affricated into ''ts'' and ''z'' (historically ''dz'', but simplified in Praseo) respectively when the following affix is one of the following:
(historically *dz*, but simplified in Praseo) respectively when the following affix is one
 
of the following:
 
  
* The plural ending *-i*
+
* The plural ending ''-i''
* The accusative endings *-ẽo* and *-ẽi*
+
* The accusative endings ''-ẽo'' and ''-ẽi''
* The finite verbal ending *-ya*
+
* The finite verbal ending ''-ya''
* The participle ending *-eo*
+
* The participle ending ''-eo''
  
Thus, the word *rada* "leader, chief" has the following forms:
+
Thus, the word ''rada'' “leader, chief” has the following forms:
  
* rada *leader*
+
* rada ''leader''
* razi *leaders*
+
* razi ''leaders''
* razẽoa *leader (acc.sg.)*
+
* razẽoa ''leader (acc.sg.)''
* razya *to lead*
+
* razya ''to lead''
* razeo *leading*
+
* razeo ''leading''
  
When a given stem forms both a U-class noun and another noun in some other word class, the
+
When a given stem forms both a U-class noun and another noun in some other word class, the final consonant of the stem is affricated in like manner throughout the U-class paradigm. Thus, the stem ''rad-'' gives us both ''rada'' “leader” and ''razu'' “head (of the body), and the word ''razu'' uses the stem ''raz-'' in all cases and numbers. Thus you have the following forms, for contrast:
final consonant of the stem is affricated in like manner throughout the U-class paradigm.
 
Thus, the stem *rad-* gives us both *rada* "leader" and *razu* "head (of the body)", and the
 
word *razu* uses the stem *raz-* in all cases and numbers. Thus you have the following
 
forms, for contrast:
 
  
Case       *rada* "leader"    *razu* "head"
+
{|
-----      ----------------    --------------
+
! Case
Acc. sg.   razẽoa             razẽo
+
! ''rada'' “leader”
Acc. pl.   razẽoi             razẽi
+
! ''razu'' “head”
Dat. sg.   radoa               razú
+
|-
Dat. pl.   raduśi             razuśi
+
| Acc. sg.
 +
| razẽoa
 +
| razẽo
 +
|-
 +
| Acc. pl.
 +
| razẽoi
 +
| razẽi
 +
|-
 +
| Dat. sg.
 +
| radoa
 +
| razú
 +
|-
 +
| Dat. pl.
 +
| raduśi
 +
| razuśi
 +
|}
  
As this illustrates, the final *z* of the stem is preserved throughout the paradigm of
+
As this illustrates, the final ''z'' of the stem is preserved throughout the paradigm of ''razu'', even in those cases which do not trigger affrication of the ''d'' in the paradigm of ''rada''. This serves to distinguish the dative plural forms, which would otherwise be identical. See the full declension of ''razu'' [[Praseo%20nouns#U-Class%20Nouns|on the noun declension page]].
*razu*, even in those cases which do not trigger affrication of the *d* in the paradigm of
 
*rada*. This serves to distinguish the dative plural forms, which would otherwise be
 
identical. See the full declension of *razu* [on the noun declension page](Praseo
 
nouns#U-Class Nouns).
 

Latest revision as of 17:53, 7 May 2023


Consonants

Phoneme set and standard orthography

The following chart gives all of the consonant phonemes in Praseo in the linguistic orthography, together with their core phonetic values.

Labial Dental Retroflex Palatal Velar
Voiceless stop p [p] t [t] k [k]
Voiced stop b [b] d [d] g [g]
Voiceless fricative s [s] ś [ʂ] š [ɕ] h [x]
Voiced fricative z [z]
Voiceless affricate ts [ts] č [tɕ]
Voiced affricate j [dʑ]
Nasal m [m] n [n]
Liquid l [l]
r [r]
Semivowel o [w] y [j]

The most peculiar aspect of the orthography is that the semivowel [w] is consistently rendered as o, regardless of position in the word. Thus, the word oirde is [wirde], and taoma is [tawma]. The phoneme [j], on the other hand, is only spelled as y when it is a syllable onset; as the second part of a diphthong it’s spelled i, giving yalu [jalu], but aisa [ajsa].

Vowels

Praseo has four oral vowels, three nasal vowels, and three diphthongs which can also be nasalized.

Oral vowels Nasal vowels
i u
e ẽ [ɛ̃] õ [ɔ̃]
a ã [ã]

Diphthongs

Oral diphthongs Nasal diphthongs
ei [ej] ẽi [ɛ̃j]
eo [ew] ẽo [ɛ̃w]
ao [aw] ão [ãw]

All of the diphthongs in Praseo are falling diphthongs, and the exact quality of the second part of the diphthong is not explicitly specified. I’ve shown them above as semivowels, but the second part of ei may be as low as [ɪ], and the second part of ao may be [ɔ]. In nasalized diphthongs, the nasalization generally holds throughout the nasalized syllable.

Stress placement

Praseo has a very strong word-level stress, which is predictable based on the morphology and phonology of the word. Stress in a Praseo word falls on the penultimate syllable, unless:

  • The final syllable is morphologically marked as stressed (as in a few noun cases and verb forms)
  • The final syllable is nasalized
  • The final syllable contains a diphthong

In these cases, the final syllable is stressed.

Morphologically stressed final syllables are indicated with an acute accent on the vowel. This is the only way to distinguish between, for example, razi [ˈra.zi] (“heads (nom.pl.)”) and razí [raˈzi] (“head (construct sg.)”). Other cases in which the final syllable is stressed are not marked, since the final stress can be inferred from the nasalization of the final vowel or the presence of a diphthong.

Because Praseo stress is so regular, it is not usually indicated in my phonetic transcriptions.

Book orthography

The orthography given above is used for precise transliterations of Praseo, and is used throughout this site and in the Praseo lexicon. However, a slightly different orthography is used for names and bits of text which occur in Storm Bride and other books featuring the Praseo language. (See Why I Use a Book Orthography.)

For the Praseo book orthography, the following substitutions are made:

Standard orthography Book orthography
ś s
š sh
č ch
e
ã a
õ o

As a consequence of these substitutions, there are no diacritics found in the book orthography of Praseo: nasal vowels are not distinguished from oral vowels, and the phonemes s [s] and ś [ʂ] are not distinguished.

Allophonic processes

Nasal place assimilation

Sound changes early in the history of Praseo resulted in most coda nasals being lost and converted to nasalization on the preceding vowel. However, when the coda nasal was immediately followed by an obstruent (stop or fricative), the nasal is retained in pronunciation and orthography, and is pronounced at the same place of articulation as the following stop. These homoorganic stops are always written with n except when followed by a labial, in which case they are written with m.

Orthography Pronunciation
mb [mb]
nd [nd]
[ɳʂ]
nj [ɲʑ]
ng [ŋg]

Vowels preceding such syllable-final nasals are still nasalized, but they are written without the tilde.

Nasal vowel spreading

Vowel nasalization spreads to the left in Praseo until it meets a voiceless obstruent or a word boundary. Thus a word with a final nasal vowel which does not contain a voiceless obstruent, the entire word may be nasalized. As suggested by the vowel chart above, vowels in Praseo are lowered under nasalization: i and e become , and u becomes õ. This applies to allophonically nasalized vowels as well as underlying nasalized vowels; however, allophonically nasalized i and u are generally spelled using the underlying vowel, if it can be recovered.

Orthography Pronunciation Remarks
ezande [ɛ̃zãnde] No vowels are written with the tilde; nasalization of preceding vowels is implied by the n.
zulõ [zɔ̃lɔ̃] Nasalization spreads to first u, pronounced [ɔ̃], but the spelling from the root form zulu is maintained.
urhõ [urxɔ̃] Initial u is not nasalized, as the voiceless obstruent h blocks further nasalization.

Coronal place assimilation

Coronal obstruents (dental, retroflex, and palatal) assimilate for place across intervening vowels. This place assimilation spreads leftward across vocoids, but stops when interrupted by a non-assimilating segment such as a non-coronal or a coronal liquid (l or r).

A word such as niśa is pronounced [ɳiʂa], with the initial n assimilated to a retroflex in accordance with the following ś. This can apply to multiple segments across multiple syllables: the word dusiśa is [ɖuʂiʂa], with all three coronal obstruents pronounced as retroflex. Note, however, that this is a form of the word dusu, which in its root form reveals that the underlying segments are non-retroflex, and the orthography reflects this, marking only the last ś in the word as retroflex. More generally, since ś is the only phonemic retroflex, there is no orthographic indication of retroflexion on the stops t or d, and s is only written as the retroflex ś if it is phonemically retroflex.

The palatals č, j, and š, are also assimilated to other coronals. When the affricates č and j are assimilated to another place of articulation, they remain affricates: if an underlying č is assimilated to a dental, then it becomes ts (the affrication is lost). This can result in affricates such as [ʈʂ] and [ɖʐ] which do not otherwise occur in Praseo. However, if an underlying unaffricated stop such as t is assimilated to a palatal it becomes automatically affricated to č (a palatal affricate).

Examples:

Orthography Pronunciation Remarks
dusiśa [ɖuʂiʂa] Retroflex articulation spreads to the left from the underlying ś. Orthography indicates underlying form.
ličitsu [litsitsu] Underlying palatal č is assimilated to [ts] from following ts; affrication is preserved. Orthography indicates underlying form.
nuči [ɲutɕi] Underlying n is assimilated to [ɲ] from following č

Voice assimilation

Obstruent clusters in Praseo always agree in voice, and the first element in the cluster is changed to agree in voice with the second. (This does not occur with clusters of obstruents and sonorants, however.) This occasionally generates phones which do not otherwise occur, such as the voiced retroflex spirant [ʐ], an allophone of ś, or the voiced palatal fricative [ʑ], an allophone of š.

Affricate simplification

If an affricate occurs in a consonant cluster, it is reduced to its fricative part. The spelling of the affricate is generally unchanged in this scenario. This includes clusters with sonorants, so that ačru is pronounced [aɕru].

Palatal absorption

When the finite verbal ending -ya is attached to a stem ending in a velar, the velar becomes palatalized (see below). The y of the verbal ending is often absorbed into this palatal, though in careful speech they may still be distinguished. It is always present in the orthography. Thus a work like ejya is usually pronounced simply [edʑa], but when enunciated carefully is [edʑja].

Morphophonemic alternations

The following alternations began as allophonic alternations in an earlier stage of Praseo, but have become morphologically conditioned following the loss of some aspects of their conditioning environment. Unlike many of the allophonic alternations above, these alternations are always reflected in the orthography.

Palatalization

The velars k, g, and h are palatalized to č, j, and š when they occur at the end of a stem, and one of the following affixes is attached to the stem:

  • The plural ending -i
  • The feminine singular ending -e
  • The accusative endings -ẽo and -ẽi
  • The finite verbal ending -ya
  • The participles ending -eo and -eśa

Thus, we have the following forms derived from the word aku “knot”:

  • aku knot
  • ači knots
  • ačẽo knot (acc.sg.)
  • ačya to tie
  • ačeo tying

However, as a trap for the unwary, it is not simply the case that these velars are palatalized before any front vowel. The following front vowel affixes (among others) do not trigger palatalization:

  • The instrumental plural -ẽi
  • The construct case endings -ei and

So for aku the following non-palatalized forms occur:

  • akẽi with knots (instr.pl)
  • akí knot (cons.sg)

Throughout the rest of the grammar, affixes indicated whether or not they trigger palatalization when they are introduced.

Affrication

The dental stops t and d at the end of a stem are affricated into ts and z (historically dz, but simplified in Praseo) respectively when the following affix is one of the following:

  • The plural ending -i
  • The accusative endings -ẽo and -ẽi
  • The finite verbal ending -ya
  • The participle ending -eo

Thus, the word rada “leader, chief” has the following forms:

  • rada leader
  • razi leaders
  • razẽoa leader (acc.sg.)
  • razya to lead
  • razeo leading

When a given stem forms both a U-class noun and another noun in some other word class, the final consonant of the stem is affricated in like manner throughout the U-class paradigm. Thus, the stem rad- gives us both rada “leader” and razu “head (of the body)”, and the word razu uses the stem raz- in all cases and numbers. Thus you have the following forms, for contrast:

Case rada “leader” razu “head”
Acc. sg. razẽoa razẽo
Acc. pl. razẽoi razẽi
Dat. sg. radoa razú
Dat. pl. raduśi razuśi

As this illustrates, the final z of the stem is preserved throughout the paradigm of razu, even in those cases which do not trigger affrication of the d in the paradigm of rada. This serves to distinguish the dative plural forms, which would otherwise be identical. See the full declension of razu on the noun declension page.