Riftspace Languages

The primary language encountered in Riftspace is for names of the main civilization I'm working with (which itself needs a name).

Canonical Names

1. Bhazaf • [ 'bʰæ.zəf ], [ 'bʰæɛ.zæf ]
2. Cor • [ 'kɔɹ ]
3. Hasu • [ 'ha.su ], [ 'aʱ.sʊ ]
4. Ijeve • [ 'i.dʒɛ.və ]
5. Kasuru • [ 'kʰæɛ.su.ɹu ]
6. Kotanuf • [ 'kʰɔʔ.tə.nuf ]
7. Maru • [ 'ma.ɹu ]
8. Nanere • [ 'nʌ.nɛ.ɹə ], [ 'næɛ.nɛ.ɹə ]
9. Rhezeri • [ 'ɹɛ.zɛ.ɹɛ ]
10. Zana • [ 'za.nə ]

Phonology

Consonants

• Labial: b, bh, m, f
• Alveolar: n, j, z, s
• Post-Alveolar: r / rh
• Velar: k, c
• Other: h, ʔ

Balancing this ought to be fun.

Vowels

glyph	phoneme	examples
a₁	/æɛ/ or /æ/	bhazaf, nanere, kasuru, canaf, saserhi, dhavur
a₂	/ä/ or /ə/	zana, maru, haruset, a'tevh, kotanuf, aves
e	/ɛ/ or /ə/	nanere, tatemi, haruset, rhezeri, aves, avezesi
i	/i/ or /ɛ/	ijeve, rhezeri, tatemi, saserhi, canavesi
o	/ɔ/	kotanuf, nohe, cor, benok
u	/u/	kotanuf, kasuru, maru

1. a₁ does not occur word-initially or word-finally in open syllables.
2. /æɛ/ occurs only on stressed syllables, even in the dialects that prefer it. /æ/ occurs in all other conditions.
3. /ä/ occurs only on stressed syllables. /ə/ occurs in all other positions.
4. /ɛ/ and /i/ occur in all positions, except unstressed word-final open syllables, where their allophones /ə/ and /ɛ/ occur instead, respectively.

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Open-Mid	ɛ		ɔ
Open	æ	ä

Consonants

STOPS

• voiceless/voiced ?
• aspirated / murmured ?

Hindustani does break out all four, can do that

FRICATIVES

• voiceless
• voiced

Labials

glyph	phoneme	examples
m	/m/	maru
bh	/bʱ/ or /ʰp/	bhazaf
b	/b/	benok
vh	/vʱ/ or /ʰf/	a'tevh
v	/v/	ijeve, canavesi, vana
f	/f/	bhazaf, kotanuf, canaf

Missing /p/

Coronals

glyph	phoneme	examples
n	/n/	nanere, benok, nohe, canaf
dh	/dʱ/	dhavur
t	/tʰ/ or /ʰt/	tatemi, haruset, a'tevh
z	/z/	zana, avezesi
s	/s/	saserhi, haruset, kasuru, aves
rh	/ɹʲ/	rhezeri, saserhi
r	/ɾ/ or /ɹ/	rhezeri, maru, kasuru, cor, dhavur

Velars

glyph	phoneme	examples
c	/k/	cor, canaf
k	/kʰ/	kotanuf, benok, kasuru

Missing /g/

Glottals

glyph	phoneme	examples
'	/ʔ/	a'tevh
h	/h/	hasu, haruset, nohe

Phonological Rules

1. Voiced consonants cannot be word final.
2. /f/ cannot be word initial.

Phonological Table

Phonemic Consonants

			Labial	Coronal	Post-alveolar	Velar	Glottal
nasal			m	n
obstruent	aspirated			t /tʰ/		k /kʰ/
	voiceless			t /t/		c /k/	' /ʔ/
	voiced		b /b/		j /dʒ/
	murmured		bh /bʱ/	dh /dʱ/
fricative	voiceless		f /f/	s /s/			h /h/
	voiced		v /v/	z /z/
	murmured		vh /vʱ/
approximant	voiced			r /ɾ-ɹ/
	murmured			rh /ɹʱ/

Grammar

2/7/18

1. Canaf, Canavesi
2. Aves, Avezesi
3. Ijeve, Ijeveni
4. Kotanuf, Kotanuves / Kotanuven