Yhát
Yhát is the descendant language of E'át,
which descended from Aθá
and Adāta.
It was created as part of a language change relay on zompist bboard.
Phonology
Phonemic Inventory
Consonants:
|
labial |
alveolar |
palatal |
velar |
uvular |
glottal |
plosives |
p |
t |
|
k |
q |
|
fricatives |
f |
s |
|
kh |
qh |
h |
v |
z |
|
gh |
affricates |
pf |
ts |
|
|
|
|
dz
| |
|
|
nasals |
m |
n |
|
ng |
lateral |
|
l |
|
trill |
|
|
|
|
r |
approximant |
w |
|
j |
|
|
Vowels:
|
front |
back |
close |
i |
|
|
|
u |
near-close |
|
|
y |
|
|
mid |
|
e |
|
|
o |
open |
|
|
a |
|
|
y is pronounced [Y]. Others have their standard IPA value:
i = [i], e= [e], a = [a], u = [u], o = [o].
The approximants /j,w/ can form dipthongs as glides both before or after the vowels.
Stressed syllables are marked with an accent on the vowel like so:
lizáq 'to celebrate' is stressed on the second syllable -záq.
Allophones
Unstressed /a/ is usually pronounced [@].
Double voiced consonants are pronounced geminate, held slightly longer that normal.
This can occur occasionally by the addition of affixes.
Word final /r/ realized as a schwa-glide [@], except after /a/ where it remains [R\].
Thus qhóter 'alert' is pronounced [Xote@].
Certain non-standard dialects extend this to all final /r/, even after /a/.
Word initial /N/ is pronounced [n], however when the word is prefixed it reverts to [N].
Thus ngar 'prostitute' is pronounced [naR\],
but the plural hangára 'prostitutes' is pronouced [h@NaR\@].
Velar obstuents ( /k, x, G/ ) are palatalized ( /kj, xj, Gj/ )
when the next consonant is an uvular obstruent ( /q, X/ ).
For instance, kaq 'red' is pronounced [kjaq].
Some non-standard dialects extend this to velars followed by r [R\] as well,
thus khárin 'stone' becomes pronounced [xjaR\in].
Sound Changes from E'át
Yhát developed from a dialect of E'át where
palatal plosive shifted to velar ( c > k ) and velar shifted to uvular ( k > q ).
This shift was generalised to all the obstruents, and induced vowel changes as well.
Vowel Shifts:
- Long vowels attract stress, length distinction lost.
- Vowels lowered before r, c\, x, h.
- Unstressed: i > e, } > o, u > o, e > ei, ei > a
- Stressed: i > e, } > o, u > o, when (r, c\, x, h) followed by another low vowel.
- Vowels fronted after alveolar or palatal, except before r (r, c\).
- Unstressed: } > i, u > }, o > e.
- Stressed: } > i, u > }, o > e, when alveolar or palatal follows another front vowel.
- Vowels backed after labial or velar.
- Unstressed: } > u, e > o.
- Stressed: i > }, } > u, e > o, when vowel also followed by r (r, c\).
- Vowels raised when followed by nasal
- Unstressed: e > i, ei > e, o > u, a > o, when followed by Nasal.
- Stressed: e > i, o > u, a > ei, when followed by nasal and high vowel (i, }, u).
Assimilation:
- Palatal becomes alveolar after labials
- c > t, C > s, j\ > z, J > n, c\ > r, L > l, after labials ( p, f, v, m ).
Obstruents shift backwards:
- Velar plossive becomes Glottal between back and front vowels: k > ? when (u, o)_(i, e, ei).
- Velar unvoiced fricative become Glottal: x > h.
- Velars becomes Uvulars: k > q, G > X.
- Palatals become Velars: c > k, C > x, j\ > G, J > N.
- Palatal trill becomes Uvular: c\ > R\.
- Palatal liquid becomes Velar fricative: L > G.
More Vowel Shifts:
- Unstressed High Vowels lowered adjacent to Uvular: i > e, u > o.
- Deletion of Close Central Vowel
- Unstressed: } > Y when front vowel in preceding syllable, } > o otherwise.
- Stressed: } > i when front vowel in preceding syllable, } > u otherwise.
- Rise of front vowels: e > Y, ei > e.
Loss of Glottal Stop:
- Two of same vowel with glottal become one stressed vowel: a'a > á, o'o > ó, etc...
- Glottal stop becomes fricative when followed by stressed vowel: ? > h.
- Glottal and unstressed vowel become semivowel dipthong after stressed vowel: ?V > j.
- Unstressed high vowels and glottal become semivowel dipthongs: i? > j, u? > w.
- Other become semivowel dipthongs: e?V > ejV, a?(i, e, y) > aj, a?(u, o) > aw, etc...
- Final Glottal stop becomes fricative: ? > h.
Affricates:
- Post-alveolar fricatives become alveolar affricates: S > ts, Z > dz.
- Alveolar plosive becomes affricate after /i/: t > ts.
- Metathesis: fp > pf, st > ts.
Liquids and Trills:
- ml inserts epenthetic /a/ before stressed syllable: ml > mal, otherwise ml > l.
- /l/ after obstruent switches through metathesis if at end of word.
- everywhere vl > lv.
- Alveolar trill merges with Uvular trill: r > R\.
Final Loss:
- Final h is deleted. In the case of plural verb endings it is reinterpreted morphologically as plural marker on noun.
Changes are detailed in this .sc file used with
Geoff's Sound Change Applier.
This file is a bit of a mess and might not make sense to anyone but it creator, but you may look at it if you wish.