Urkhese
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Urkhese is a Hsue Language spoken in Urkheyen in Taratai.
Urkhese |
Language in Taratai |
family: Hsue Languages
type: isolating order: SOV (more to be added) |
phonology
Urkhese word roots consist of one or two syllables fitting the following pattern:
- C₁ (G) V₁ (C₂) (V₂) (C₃)
in which:
- C₁ can be any consonant and is only optional at the beginning of a word. (In case of compounds, /ʔ/ is inserted.)
- G is a glide. However, not all consonants can be followed by glides.
- V₁ is any short or long vowel or diphthong.
- C₂ is a consonant from a heavily restricted set that can occur in this position.
- V₂ is a short vowel; either <e>, <ǝ>, or <o>.
- C₃ is either <r> or <n>. In the latter case, /n/ is the neutral pronunciation, but if another syllable follows this becomes the nasal at the same place of articulation as the following consonant.
consonants
bilabial | dental | alveolar | retroflex | (alveolo-) palatal | velar | uvular | glotal | |
voiceless plosive | p | t | c <ty> | k | q | ʔ <ɂ> | ||
aspirated voiceless plosive | pʰ <ph> | tʰ <th> | kʰ <kh> | qʰ <qh> | ||||
voiced plosive | b | d | ɟ <dy> | g | ||||
breathy voiced plosive | bʱ <bh> | dʱ <dh> | ɟʱ <dhy> | gʱ <gh> | ||||
nasal | m | n̪~n <n> | ɲ <ny> | ŋ <ŋ> | ||||
voiceless affricate | t͡s <c> | ʈ͡ʂ <ć> | t͡ɕ <cx> | |||||
voiceless fricative | ɸ <f> | θ <þ> | s | ʂ <ś> | ɕ <x> | ç/ʝ~x̟/ɣ̟ <xh> | h~ɦ <h> | |
voiced fricative | β <v> | z | ʐ <ź> | ʀ <r> | ||||
approximant | β̞ <w> | ɹ~ɻ <r> | j <y> | |||||
lateral fricative | ɬ <ł> | |||||||
lateral approximant | l | ʎ <ly> |
notes and unlisted phonemes
- Palatals in grey cells occur as allophones of palatalized alveolars or alveolars with an /i̯/ glide. /l/ occurs only as <ly> which is pronounced /li̯/, /lʲ/ or /ʎ/.
- The pronunciation of rhotic phonemes depends on context. /ɻ/ is common in syllable coda and in syllable onsets followed by an /i̯/ glide. /ʀ/ occurs in syllable onsets followed by an /u̯/ glide. Otherwise it is /ɹ/. Furthermore /ɹ/ is a "neutral" pronunciation and is always acceptable.
glides
Urkhese has three glides: <y>, <ŭ>, and <r>:
- <y> is /i̯/, /j/, or palatalization, but is always /j/ before <i>.
- <ŭ> is /u̯/, /β̞/, or labialization, but is always /β̞/ before <u>.
- <r> is usually /ɹ/.
<r> only occurs after voiced plosives. The other glides can occur after most plosives, fricatives, and nasals, as well as after <r> and <l>. (The latter only occurs as <ly>.)
vowels and diphthongs
Urkhese has six vowels:
front | mid | back | |
close | i | uᵝ | |
mid | ɛ <e> | ǝ | ɔᵝ <o> |
open | ä~ɑ <a> |
Additionally, there are five diphthongs:
- <ai>, pronounced /ɑi̯/ or /ɑj/;
- <au>, pronounced /ɑu̯/;
- <ei>, pronounced /e̞i̯/ or, more commonly, as /eˑ/;
- <ǝi>, pronounced /ǝi̯/ or sometimes as /øˑ/; and
- <ou>, pronounced /o̞u̯/ or, more commonly, as /oˑ/.
grammar
- Main Article: Comparative Grammar of Middle and Modern Hsue
(t.b.a.)