22_Phonotactics & Euphony

Navigation:

• Back to Structural Sets in Asaxi

---

Grammatical Concept: Flow and Constraints

Asaxi places a high priority on Euphony (pleasant sound flow). The language strictly regulates how sounds connect, utilizing a system of Epenthetic Bridges to resolve hiatus and enforcing strict Phonotactic Constraints on what sounds may coexist.

---

1. Vowel Hiatus Resolution (The Bridge System)

With one specific exception, the choice of bridge consonant is arbitrary or lexically determined.

A. The Strict Morphological Rule (-n-)

Mandatory when converting a Noun ending in a vowel into a Derived Verb.

• Rule: [Root-V] + n + ů.
• Example: shěso + ů → shěsonů (To read).

B. Common Lexical Bridges (-w- / -x-)

• The -w- Bridge: Common in Locative Stacking (vawo) and Ga-Compounds (gamaowo).
• The -x- Bridge: Common in Verbal Prefixes (zèxijo, månixåkam).

C. I-Stem Coalescence (The “I” Exception)

A specific exception exists for Verb Roots starting with i (e.g., ijo, ijù). When a Prefix ending in a vowel attaches to an i- verb, the standard -x- bridge is omitted. Instead, the vowels coalesce into a diphthong.

• Rule: [Prefix-V] + [Root-i] → [Diphthong]
• Example: zè + ijù → zëjù (Said).
• Example: no + ijo → nőjo (There-see).

Poetic & Formal Exception: While coalescence is the standard rule for natural speech, the full bridge form (-x-) may be preserved in poetry, song, or high-formal register to maintain syllable count or meter.

• Standard: zëjo (2 syllables).
• Poetic: zèxijo (3 syllables).

Constraint (Word Boundary): This rule applies only to prefixes (bound morphemes) within the verbal complex. It does not apply across word boundaries between separate parts of speech.

• Example: To jo ijo. (“It sees.“)
  • Analysis: jo (Pronoun “It”) ends in o. ijo (Verb “See”) starts with i.
  • Result: No Coalescence. They remain separate words: jo ijo. (NOT jőjo).

---

2. Consonant Mutation & Elision

A. H-Deletion (h Stability)

The glottal fricative /h/ is weak.

• Deletion Rule: If h follows a Consonant or a Diphthong, it is deleted.
  • ů + hè → ůè.
• Retention Rule: If h follows a Pure Vowel, it remains.
  • dao + hè → daohè.

B. H-Fortition / Assimilation

If a syllable containing the voiced fricative x (/ɦ/) is followed by h, the h hardens into x.

• Rule: ...xV + hV... → ...xVxV...
• Example: ná + xă + hù… → náxăxù…

C. Devoicing Assimilation

When the voiced consonants precede voiceless ones, they often get devoiced.

• Example: v + k → /fk/. va + kozè → vkozè.
  • Pronunciation: /fkozə/ (“In the distant past”).
• Example: z + p → /sp/. izo (From) + pă (Outside) → ispă (Wilderness).

---

3. Syllabic Nasals (Nuclei)

The geminated/syllabic nasals mm, nn, and nŋ function phonotactically as Vowels (Nuclei).

• Status: They occupy the V-slot in a syllable (CV).
• Assimilation:
  • nn becomes mm before Bilabials (p, b).
  • nn becomes nŋ before Velars (k, g).
• Coda Tolerance:
  • Syllabic nasals cannot support plosive codas (p, t, k, b, d, g) at the end of a word.
  • Invalid: kammb, kanŋg.
  • Valid: kammba, kanŋga (Must be followed by a vowel to break the cluster).

---

4. Phonotactic Constraints

A. Forbidden Codas

• Plosives (p, t, k, b, d, g): Generally forbidden at the end of a word.
  • Restriction: This prohibition extends to clusters involving Syllabic Nasals (e.g., kammb is forbidden).
• Complex Clusters: Clusters like lv or lm cannot end a word (e.g., ilv is invalid; ilva is valid).

B. Liquid Constraints (r / l)

• The l Rule: The liquid l must be adjacent to Pure Vowels (a, i, u, e, o) only.
  • Invalid: ýl, lý.
  • Constraint: l may appear at the onset of a syllable with impure vowels, but may not follow them (e.g., lýshko OK; lýlo NO).
• The r Rule:
  • Rarity: r is exceedingly rare.
  • Permitted Clusters: Only allowed after ch, jh, k, f, p. (Forbidden: tr, dr, sr, gr).
  • Vowel Restriction: r may never be followed by i.
    • Sole Exception: fri (Valid).
  • Glide Restriction: r never appears with glides (w, j).

C. Orthographic Enforcements (Spelling Rules)

Certain phonetic combinations result in mandatory orthographic and pronunciation shifts.

Spelling	IPA Realization
chi	/tʃi/
dzý	/dzɪ/
si	/ɕi/ (Always palatalized)
zi	/ʑi/ (Always palatalized)
ji	/ji/
wő	/woɪ/
shŕa	/ʃɹ̠˔a/

5. Special Phenomena

A. The Glottal Stop (')

A distinct consonant (/ʔ/). Orthographically significant.

• Interaction with h- Suffixes (Glottal Elision): When a word ending in a glottal stop meets a suffix starting with h, the glottal stop is deleted.
  • chěcho' + hè → chěchohè (Close it!).
• Interaction with Particles (Boundary Elision): If a word ending in a glottal stop is followed immediately by a Particle or Connector (even if it starts with a consonant), the glottal stop is dropped to maintain flow.
  • Rule: [Word-'] + [Particle] → [Word] [Particle]
  • Example: tomo' (Stop) + kè (Question) → tomo kè? (“Does it stop?”).
  • Note: This prevents the “stutter” of a glottal stop followed immediately by another consonant across a grammatical boundary.

B. Vowel Devoicing

Vowels between voiceless consonants may devoice, creating syllabic fricatives.

• Example: shěso → [ʃ̩so].

6. Particle Contraction (Rapid Speech)

In casual or rapid speech, disyllabic compound particles often undergo Vowel Elision, where the first vowel is dropped to create a consonant cluster. This is permissible only if the resulting cluster follows Asaxi phonotactic constraints.

Marking: Contracted forms are written with an apostrophe (') to indicate the missing vowel.

Common Contractions

Original	Meaning	Contraction	IPA
sèwo	Because	s’wo	/swo/
sèni	So / Therefore	s’ni	/sni/
panå	Not yet	p’nå	/pnau̯/
nanå	Often	n’nå	/n:au̯/
hùnå	Already	h’nå	/hnau̯/
vanå	Still	v’nå	/vnau̯/
Usage Note: These contractions are optional and register-dependent (Casual/Fast). In formal writing or poetry, the full form is preferred for clarity and meter.

7. Special Pronunciation Rules

A. The Final ë When the vowel ë appears at the end of a phrase or word (common in imperatives), it lengthens significantly.

• IPA: /eː/ (Long ‘e’).
• Example: shivënwë → /ɕi.veɪ.ɴweː/

B. The Nasal-Glide Cluster (nw) When the consonant n is followed immediately by w (specifically in the nwë imperative ending), the nasal shifts to the uvular position.

• Rule: n + w → /ɴw/.
• Example: shivënwë (Show off!) → /…ɴweː/