Æbbro phonology

Main article: Æbbro

This page gives an extensive description of Æbbro phonological features.

Consonants

The consonant system distinguishes 19 phonemes, traditionally arranged in the following scheme:

		IPA			Transcription
plosive	voiceless	[p]	[k]	[t]	p	k	t
	voiced	[b]	[g]	[d]	b	g	d
nasal		[m]		[n]	m		n
liquid		[r]		[l]	r		l
fricative	sibilant	[s]		[z]	s		z
	alveolar	[ʃ]		[ʒ]	š		ž
	alveolar	[ɕ]		[ʑ]	ś		ź
	glottal		[h]			h
	approximant	[j]		[w]	j		w

The group of the plosive consonants is well developed, although distinguishing only two sub-groups: voiceless, and voiced.

The groups of the nasal and of the liquid consonants are slighty poorer, but anyway quite developed.

The group of the fricative consonants is overall well developed with some points of articulation and an extended distinction between voiced and voiceless phonemes.

There are no affricate consonants. The phonemes [j] and [w] have a full consonantal value and they are never regarded as semivowels.

The relative scarcity of the consonant system is balanced by the ability of every consonant to be lenghtened in every syllabic position. This distinction between short and long consonants is phomenic, essentially doubling the amount of the distinguished consonants up to 38.

terni – tterni [terni – tːerni]
shrub - man

As seen from the above example, long consonants are orthographically transcribed with a double letter.

Vowels

There are 6 vocalic phonemes, which display other forms of distinction.

IPA		Transcription
front	back	front	back
[i]	[u]	i	u
[e]	[o]	e	o
[æ]	[a]	æ	a

The relative scarcity of the vowel system is balanced by the ability of every vowel to be lenghtened in every syllabic position. This distinction between short and long vowels is phomenic, essentially doubling the amount of the distinguished consonants up to 12.

sampo - sampoo [sampo – sampoː]
new - bird

As seen from the above example, long vowels are orthographically transcribed with a double letter.

Moreover, all vowels make a primary distinction in backness, being divided in two groups: front vowels and back vowels. This distinction is relevant in the process of vowel harmony between the root and every morphological or derivational affix.