Univax

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Phonetic doodle inspired by a ZBB discussion about the "sound of polar languages" (from Aleut to Icelandic). Just to be contrary, I'm putting it in Sahara.

Phoneme inventory

Consonants

p t c k
θ s x
ɲ̊ h
m n ɲ
ʋ l r j

Vowels

Short Long
Front Centr. Back Front Centr. Back
Hi i ʉ u ʉː
Non-hi ə ɑ ɑː

Difthongs consist of a non-hi vowel + glide: front əj, back ɑw.

Allophony

  • /k x/ backed to [q χ] before a back vowel or after one before a consonant
  • /θ/ is lamino-interdental, /t n̥ n l/ are apico-dental, except apico-alveolar before /i/, /s r/ are apico-alveolar, /c ɲ̊ ɲ/ are lamino-postalveolar
  • /θ x/ voiced to [ð ɣ~ʁ] between voiced sounds and initially
    • Equivalently, one may consider these phonemically voiced /ð ɣ/, devoiced to [θ x~χ] adjacent to voiceless consonants and word-finally
  • /s/ voiced to [z] only intervocally & if the next consonant is also voiced
    • eg. /kisim/ [kizim], but /kisi/ [kisi], /kisixat/ [kisiχɑt̪]

Structure

Cluster table (obstruent-initials only for now):

1st ↓ · 2nd → p t c k θ s x ɲ̊ m n ɲ ʋ l r
p pt pc ps px pnh? pñh?
t tp tk tx tmh tv
c cp ck cx cmh cv
k kp kt kc kmh knh? kñh? kv
θ ŧp ŧk ŧx ŧmh ŧnh? ŧñh? ŧm ŧv ŧl ŧr
x xp xt xc xs xmh xnh? xñh? xm xn xv

Coda /s/ occurs only word-finally.

Stress

  • Level 1 (usually 2ndary) stress falls on the initial syllable, unless immediately pretonic
  • Level 2 (usually primary) stress falls on
    • the rightmost superhevvy syllable, if there is one
    • otherwise the rightmost non-final hevvy syllable, if there is one

(so what's this in terms of feet? (C)V(V/C)(C)CV(C/V)(CV)(V/C)(CV)(V/C) I think?)

Grammar

Person markers:

  • standalone pronouns sŋ. xuu suu uu [ʁuː(l) suː(l) uː(l)], pl. xusar tesar vaar [ʁusɑr t̪əsɑr ʋɑːr]
    • possessivs sŋ. xakta sakta vakta [ʁɑqt̪ɑ sɑqt̪ɑ ʋɑqt̪ɑ], pl. xaŧer saŧer vaŧer [ʁɑðər sɑðər ʋɑðər]
  • subject markers sŋ. -xa -sa -va, pl. -x -s -u

Flavor test

  • seriutvalem [ˌseriˈut̪ʋɑl̪əm] (not difthongal due to foot breik)
  • kaarhuxmet [ˈqɑːrhuʁmət̪]
  • terakvaasuxmit [ˌt̪ərɑqʋɑːˈzuʁmit̪] (do we have an -uxmit/-uxmet suffix here?)
  • ŧykurpyycuu [ˌðʉqurˈpʉːcuː]
  • uñiivacxamhyykap [ˌuɲiːʋɑcχɑˈm̥ʉːqɑp] (perhaps tripedal)
  • xarvytxaanaa [ˌʁɑrʋʉˈt̪χɑːn̪ɑː]
  • yŧkyr cepesak [ˈʉθkʉr ˈcəpəsɑq]
  • kepuut sinikau suvatpeti [kəˈpuːt̪ ˈsiniqaw suˈʋɑt̪pəti]
  • tylpyraktiipii [ˌt̪ʉl̪pʉrɑqˈtiːpiː]
  • aŧrun kuulacxun [ˈɑðrun̪ quːˈl̪ɑcχun̪]