Appendix:Méníshè pronunciation: Difference between revisions

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{{LangBar|Méníshè|Motherland: Fort Salem}}
The [[Méníshè language]] has 27 consonants, 5 vowels, and 2 glides.
The [[Méníshè language]] has 27 consonants, 5 vowels, and 2 glides.


Line 13: Line 15:
| a
| a
| f'''a'''ther
| f'''a'''ther
| It has both a front and back pronunciation.
|  
|-
| '''an'''
| ɐ̃
| -
| A nasal version of a regular '''a''', but centralized.
|-
|-
| '''b'''
| '''b'''
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| '''b'''og
| '''b'''og
|
|
|-
| '''ch'''
| tʃ
| '''ch'''op
|
|-
| '''ch''''
| tʃʼ
| —
| Pronounced like the '''ch''' in '''ch'''op while holding one's breath.
|-
|-
| '''d'''
| '''d'''
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| b'''ai'''t
| b'''ai'''t
|
|
|-
| '''en'''
| ɛ̃
| pr'''in'''ce (''French'')
| A nasal vowel.
|-
|-
| '''f'''
| '''f'''
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|-
|-
| '''g'''
| '''g'''
| g
| ɡ
| '''g'''ood
| '''g'''ood
|
|
|-
|-
| '''h'''
| '''gh'''
| h
| ɣ
| '''h'''am
| —
|
| Roughly as in French '''r'''ouge.
|-
|-
| '''i'''
| '''i'''
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|-
|-
| '''j'''
| '''j'''
| ʒ
| dʒ
| a'''z'''ure
| '''j'''udge
| It's spelled with a '''j''' because this show takes place in New Orleans, and the language is reminiscent of French.
|  
|-
|-
| '''k'''
| '''k'''
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| s'''k'''ill
| s'''k'''ill
|
|
|-
| '''k''''
| kʼ
| —
| Pronounced like the '''k''' in '''k'''id while holding one's breath.
|-
| '''kh'''
| x
| —
| As in German Bu'''ch'''.
|-
|-
| '''l'''
| '''l'''
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| c'''oa'''t
| c'''oa'''t
|  
|  
|-
| '''on'''
| ɔ̃
| '''on'''(''French'')
| A nasal vowel.
|-
|-
| '''p'''
| '''p'''
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| s'''p'''an
| s'''p'''an
|
|
|-
| '''p''''
| pʼ
| —
| Pronounced like the '''p''' in '''p'''op while holding one's breath.
|-
|-
| '''r'''
| '''r'''
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| ba'''tt'''le
| ba'''tt'''le
|  
|  
|-
| '''rr'''
| r
| —
| Trilled as in Spanish pe'''rr'''o.
|-
|-
| '''s'''
| '''s'''
| s
| s
| '''s'''ee
| '''s'''ee
|
|-
| '''sh'''
| ʃ
| '''sh'''eep
|  
|  
|-
|-
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| s'''t'''op
| s'''t'''op
|  
|  
|-
| '''t''''
| tʼ
| —
| Pronounced like the '''t''' in '''t'''op while holding one's breath.
|-
|-
| '''u'''
| '''u'''
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| z
| z
| '''z'''oo
| '''z'''oo
|
|-
| '''zh'''
| ʒ
| a'''z'''ure
|
|-
| ''' ' '''
| ʔ
| uh'''-'''oh
|  
|  
|}
|}


== Phonetics ==
== Phonetics ==
Méníshè has tone and ejectives aplenty.
Méníshè is a register tone language with a series of ejectives. Méníshè has three tone levels: high ('''á''' [a˥]), low ('''à''' [a˩]), and neutral ('''a''' [a˩˧]). Though the neutral level is transcribed as mid, it is probably best understood as non-specific. That is, it may be higher before a high tone syllable, or lower before a low tone syllable. Neutral tones, by definition, can ''only'' occur on the first syllable of a word. Any syllable that has a neutral tone that occurs outside the first syllable of the word will simply inherit the previous tone in full.
 
Méníshè allows no more than two changes (defined as from high to low or low to high; a neutral tone moving to another tone does ''not'' count as a full change) in a word's tone melody. When a tone isn't able to be realized because it would eventuate a third tone change, the word carries with it a floating tone, that results in either upstep [↑] or downstep [↓], which affects the following word. This affects the overall tone level of everything that follows the floating tone. A floating high tone will cause upstep; a floating low tone will cause downstep.


=== Consonants ===
=== Consonants ===
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| m [m] ||  n [n] || (n [ɲ]) || (n [ŋ]) ||
| m [m] ||  n [n] || (n [ɲ]) || (n [ŋ]) ||
|-
|-
! rowspan="2" | Plosive
! rowspan="3" | Plosive
! <small>voiceless</small>
! <small>voiceless</small>
| p [p] || t [t]  ||  || k [k] ||
| p [p] || t [t]  || ch [tʃ] || k [k] || ' [ʔ]
|-
|-
! <small>voiced</small>
! <small>voiced</small>
| b [b] || d [d]  ||  || g [g] ||
| b [b] || d [d]  || j [dʒ] || g [g] ||
|-
! <small>ejective</small>
| p' [pʼ] || t' [tʼ]  || ch' [tʃʼ]  || k' [kʼ] ||
|-
|-
! rowspan="2" | Fricative
! rowspan="2" | Fricative
! <small>voiceless</small>
! <small>voiceless</small>
| f [f] ||  s [s] || || || h [h]
| f [f] ||  s [s] || sh [ʃ] || kh [x] || h [h]
|-
|-
! <small>voiced</small>
! <small>voiced</small>
| v [v] || z [z]  || zh [ʒ]  || ||  
| v [v] || z [z]  || zh [ʒ]  || gh [ɣ] ||  
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Lateral
! colspan="2" | Lateral
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|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Approximant
! colspan="2" | Approximant
| w [w] || r [ɾ] || y [j]  ||  ||
| w [w] || r [ɾ], rr [r] || y [j]  ||  ||
|}
|}


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|  
|  
|}
|}
Again, all of these vowels can occur with high tone (''á'', ''áá'', ''é'', ''éé'', ''í'', ''íí'', ''ó'', ''óó'', ''ú'', ''úú''), low tone (''à'', ''àà'', ''è'', ''èè'', ''ì'', ''ìì'', ''ò'', ''òò'', ''ù'', ''ùù''), or neutral tone (''a'', ''aa'', ''e'', ''ee'', ''i'', ''ii'', ''o'', ''oo'', ''u'', ''uu''). Long vowels or sequences of vowels may have different tones, resulting in a contour tone. Some examples, among many, many possible: ''áà'', ''èí'', ''aé'', ''oà''.


[[Category:Pronunciation by language]]
[[Category:Pronunciation by language]]
[[Category:Méníshè language]]
[[Category:Méníshè language]]

Latest revision as of 15:21, 9 November 2023

Méníshè Language Navigation: Home, Phonology, Grammar, Vocabulary, Dialogue

The Méníshè language has 27 consonants, 5 vowels, and 2 glides.

Standard Romanization

Letter IPA English example Notes
a a father
b b bog
ch tʃ chop
ch' tʃʼ — Pronounced like the ch in chop while holding one's breath.
d d dog
e e bait
f f food
g ɡ good
gh ɣ — Roughly as in French rouge.
i i beet
j dʒ judge
k k skill
k' kʼ — Pronounced like the k in kid while holding one's breath.
kh x — As in German Buch.
l l left
m m man
n n no
o o coat
p p span
p' pʼ — Pronounced like the p in pop while holding one's breath.
r ɾ battle
rr r — Trilled as in Spanish perro.
s s see
sh ʃ sheep
t t stop
t' tʼ — Pronounced like the t in top while holding one's breath.
u u rude
v v voice
w w wet
y j yawn
z z zoo
zh ʒ azure
' ʔ uh-oh

Phonetics

Méníshè is a register tone language with a series of ejectives. Méníshè has three tone levels: high (á [a˥]), low (à [a˩]), and neutral (a [a˩˧]). Though the neutral level is transcribed as mid, it is probably best understood as non-specific. That is, it may be higher before a high tone syllable, or lower before a low tone syllable. Neutral tones, by definition, can only occur on the first syllable of a word. Any syllable that has a neutral tone that occurs outside the first syllable of the word will simply inherit the previous tone in full.

Méníshè allows no more than two changes (defined as from high to low or low to high; a neutral tone moving to another tone does not count as a full change) in a word's tone melody. When a tone isn't able to be realized because it would eventuate a third tone change, the word carries with it a floating tone, that results in either upstep [↑] or downstep [↓], which affects the following word. This affects the overall tone level of everything that follows the floating tone. A floating high tone will cause upstep; a floating low tone will cause downstep.

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m [m] n [n] (n [ɲ]) (n [ŋ])
Plosive voiceless p [p] t [t] ch [tʃ] k [k] ' [ʔ]
voiced b [b] d [d] j [dʒ] g [g]
ejective p' [pʼ] t' [tʼ] ch' [tʃʼ] k' [kʼ]
Fricative voiceless f [f] s [s] sh [ʃ] kh [x] h [h]
voiced v [v] z [z] zh [ʒ] gh [ɣ]
Lateral l [l]
Approximant w [w] r [ɾ], rr [r] y [j]

Vowels

Méníshè has 5 phonetically distinct vowels that come in long and short pairs:

Front Central Back
Close i [i], ii [iː] u [u], uu [uː]
Mid e [e], ee [eː] o [o], oo [oː]
Open a [a], aa [aː]

Again, all of these vowels can occur with high tone (á, áá, é, éé, í, íí, ó, óó, ú, úú), low tone (à, àà, è, èè, ì, ìì, ò, òò, ù, ùù), or neutral tone (a, aa, e, ee, i, ii, o, oo, u, uu). Long vowels or sequences of vowels may have different tones, resulting in a contour tone. Some examples, among many, many possible: áà, èí, aé, oà.

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