Interpretation of ambiguous segments

2.1.2 Interpretation of ambiguous segments

2.1.2.1 Glides and high vowels Among the several ambiguous segments in Luang are the vocoids [i] and [u]. The status of these segments can be determined by looking at their distribution within the syllable. In syllable peaks these phones function as vowels and are thus interpreted i and u respectively. Note the following: [ʔidә] ʔida ‘one’ [ʔinә] ʔina ‘mother’ [nihi] nihi ‘tooth’ [ʔuhu] ʔuhu ‘breast’ [nurnu] nur-nu ‘hisher mouth’ [ruʔru] ruʔru ‘bow head’ [niyi] niyi ‘snake’ In the onset of syllables these segments function as consonants and are interpreted as the glides w and y. Note the following: [yoʔorә] yoʔora ‘wave’ [ya ʋyaʋrә] yawyawra ‘early morning’ [wayowә] wayowa ‘agree’ [waʋi] wawi ‘pig’ [wawannu] wawan-nu ‘on top of’ [rayi] rayi ‘land’ In syllable codas, [i] and [u] may function as consonants or vowels depending upon the placement of stress. When they are vowels they count for stress, when they function as consonants they do not. Their interpretation must also adhere to the unambiguous syllable patterns in the language, one of these being that no vowel clusters of three can occur. [taili] tayli ‘weigh’ [ʔau] ʔau ‘wood’ [pwou] pwou ‘sail boat’ [kryou] kryou ‘k.o. basket’ [raʋtu] rawtu ‘scratch’ [yaʋyaʋrә] yawyawra ‘early morning’ 2.1.2.2 Labialized consonants The labialization of consonants is a common occurence in Luang due to the morphophonemic processes that take place see §2.3.3 below. There are also a few unambiguous environments where labialization of consonants occurs. In both the conditioned and unconditioned environments these phones are interpreted as consonant sequences Cw rather than single phonemes C ᵂ in order to economize phonemes. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the labialized consonants only occur syllable initially where other consonant clusters are found see §2.2.2 below and therefore remain consistent with acceptable syllable patterns in Luang. Labialization occurs on only labial consonants. [m ᵂai] mwai ‘you sg. come’ [pᵂei] pwei ‘you sg. wait’ [ʔampᵂaharu] ʔampwaharu ‘we talk about’ [mᵂanә] mwana ‘West Luang village’ [mᵂanu] mwanu ‘male’ [pᵂatә] pwata ‘female’ 2.1.2.3 Palatalized consonants Like labialization, the palatalization of consonants is a common occurence in Luang due to the morphophonemic processes that take place see §2.3.3 below. There are also a few unambiguous environments where palatalization of consonants occurs. In both the conditioned and unconditioned environments these phones are interpreted as consonant sequences Cy rather than single phonemes C ʸ in order to economize phonemes. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the palatalized consonants only occur syllable initially where other consonant clusters are found see §2.2.2 below and therefore remain consistent with the acceptable syllable patterns in Luang. Palatalization occurs on the following consonants except ʔ t d k s h n l r. [ʔait ʸ ayli] ʔai-tyayli ‘I weigh’ [ʔaid ʸ ԑllә] ʔai-dyel-la ‘I stay’ 8 [ʔomk ʸ ohu] ʔom-kyohu ‘you sg. tie’ [ʔais ʸ ayni] ʔai-syayni ‘I love’ [ m̩ɲ ʸ ayri] m-nyayri ‘you sg. wear’ [ʔoml ʸ aʔә] ʔom-lyaʔa ‘you sg. go’ [ʔomr ʸ anә] ʔom-ryana ‘you sg. pick up’ [nat ʸ anә] na-tyana ‘heshe asks’ [k ə̆d ʸ eli] kdyeli ‘ring’ [k ʸ oʔә] kyoʔa ‘salt’ [h ʸ aʔә] hyaʔa ‘what’ [l ʸ eʔelә] lyeʔela ‘k.o. shell’ [nar ʸ ei] na-ryei ‘heshe teases’ 2.1.2.4 Syllabic consonants In Luang the syllabic consonants ᶆ ṇ r l k occur. They occur in two main environments. One of these is the prefixation of verb roots see §2.4.2 below. The other environment is the addition of affixes for derivational purposes. Since these syllabic consonants occur in predictable environments they are not considered phonemic in order to conserve phonemes. In connected speech, as opposed to isolated examples, these word initial syllabic consonants are not syllabic, but instead become a syllable coda in the preceding word. [ n̩] + [nayri] = [ṇnayri] n-nayri hade nnayri [haden nayri] ‘shehe uses’ [r] + [ranә] = [rranә] r-rana ha rrana [har ranә] ‘shehe lifts’ [ m̩] + [nurnuhru]= [m̩nurnuhru] m-nur-nuhru koka mnurnuhru [kokam nurnuhru] ‘silky cloth’ [k] + [leha] = [kleha] kleha na-kleha [‘nak-leha] ‘shehe lacks’ 8 The palatal sequences ty and dy are often realized as the affricates [t ǰ] and [dʒ] in fast speech. 2.1.2.5 Short epenthetic schwa A common feature in Luang is the epenthetical schwa [ ə̆] which occurs between non-homorganic consonants across syllable boundaries. However when non-homorganic consonant clusters occur syllable initial within a syllable, and if the second member of the cluster is the liquid l orr then no epenthesis occurs. Therefore, because its environment is predictable in that it signals a syllable break between two non-homorganic consonants, this epenthetic schwa is considered to be non-phonemic. 9 The timing is also significantly shorter than a normal vocoid and it is not perceived as being distinctive by native speakers. Examples between syllables within a morpheme: [mem ə̆nә] memna ‘very’ [wu ʔə̆ru] wu ʔru ‘cooking oil’ [m ԑhə̆rә] mehra ‘sick’ [kal ə̆wedә] kalweda ‘greetingleave taking’ [ ʔapə̆nu] ʔapnu ‘stomach’ [plok ə̆rә] p-lokra ‘sharp’ Examples between syllables within a word, note that insertion follows stress placement: [tut ə̆gә] tut-ga ‘point-it’ [lim ə̆ni] lim-ni ‘hisher hand’ [lak ə̆ni] lak-ni ‘hisher foot’ Examples syllable initial with liquids l and r: [tre ʔa] tre ʔa ‘left’ [prai] prai ‘k.o. drum’ [tlin ә] tlina ‘ear’

2.1.3 Consonants