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phonology [2025/05/09 17:15] – [Phonotactics] morgothphonology [2026/07/01 06:50] (current) – [Vowels] morgoth
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 Some people assume that letter //û// indicates rounded close front sound //[y]// (because of transformation Saruman's moniker "Sharkû" into "Sharkey"). Moreover these two sounds are sometimes mixed in some Tengwar inscriptions. Some people assume that letter //û// indicates rounded close front sound //[y]// (because of transformation Saruman's moniker "Sharkû" into "Sharkey"). Moreover these two sounds are sometimes mixed in some Tengwar inscriptions.
 But such proposition is doubtful as circumflex indicates just the length of vowels in other Tolkien's languages too.  But such proposition is doubtful as circumflex indicates just the length of vowels in other Tolkien's languages too. 
-However if you want to create a subdialect of Nûrlâm with such feature, other long vowels should be transformed too, e.g. //î// often used to substitute //e// into //[ə]// or //[ɜː]//, //â// into //[æ]//, //ô// into //[øː]//. Subdialect may even include pair //e// (//[ə]//) and //ê// (//[ɜː]//).+However if you want to create a subdialect of Nûrlâm with such feature, other long vowels should be transformed too, e.g. //î// often used to substitute //e// into //[ə]// or //[ɜ]//, //â// into //[æ]//, //ô// into //[øː]//. Subdialect may even include pair //e// (//[ə]//) and //ê// (//[ɜː]//).
 Some sub-dialects may differentiate between vowels with acute and circumflex according to Sindarin or their own rules (as in [[MERP]]), but Nûrlâm's dictionary has all long vowels normalized to circumflex diacritics. Some sub-dialects may differentiate between vowels with acute and circumflex according to Sindarin or their own rules (as in [[MERP]]), but Nûrlâm's dictionary has all long vowels normalized to circumflex diacritics.
 The vowel //i// may be realized as near-close [ɪ] or even as close central [ɨ] in some circumstances to avoid palatalization. The vowel //i// may be realized as near-close [ɪ] or even as close central [ɨ] in some circumstances to avoid palatalization.
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 **//Phonotactics//** is the part of phonology that studies restrictions on using phonemes.  **//Phonotactics//** is the part of phonology that studies restrictions on using phonemes. 
-Verb stems are allowed to end with consonant only. Other parts of speech may end also with vowels or diphthongs.+Verb stems are allowed to end with consonant only. Other parts of speech may also end with vowels or diphthongs.
  
 The following consonant clusters are allowed at the start of the stem: The following consonant clusters are allowed at the start of the stem:
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    * Fan additions: <del>-bd</del>, <del>-bdh</del>, -bn, -br, -bz, -dg, <del>-dhl</del>, <del>-dhm</del>, <del>-dhn</del>, <del>-dhp</del>, -dm, -dr, -dz, <del>-dzh</del>, -fr, -ft, -gb, -gd, <del>-ghl</del>, <del>-ghn</del>, -ghr, <del>-ghsh</del>, -gn, -gsh, <del>-gtr</del>, -gz, <del>-hd</del>, <del>-hr</del>, -ht, <del>-kg</del>, <del>-khb</del>, <del>-khl</del>, -kht, <del>-khth</del>, -kl, -km, -kr, -ks, <del>-kth</del>, -lb, -lbh, -ld, -lgh, -lk, <del>-lksh</del>, -lm, <del>-lmg</del>, -ln, -lp, -ls, -lt, <del>-ltz</del>, <del>-lv</del>, -lz, <del>-mbr</del>, -mg, -ms, -mzh, -nd, <del>-ndg</del>, <del>-ndr</del>, <del>-ndsh</del>, -ngh, <del>-nghl</del>, -nr, -nsh, -nt, -nz, <del>-pn</del>, -ps, -psh, -rbh, -rd, <del>-rdh</del>, <del>-rdrg</del>, <del>-rdt</del>, -rf, <del>-rft</del>, -rgh, -rgz, -rkh, <del>-rksh</del>, -rl, <del>-rlg</del>, -rm, -rsh, -rsk, -rt, -rth, <del>-rv</del>, <del>-sg</del>, -shb, <del>-shg</del>, -shk, -shn, -sht, -sk, -sl, -sm, -sn, -sp, -sr, -st, <del>-tg</del>, <del>-thg</del>, <del>-thl</del>, <del>-thr</del>, -tl, <del>-tp</del>, -zb, -zd, -zhb, -zhd, <del>-zl</del>, -zn, -zt;    * Fan additions: <del>-bd</del>, <del>-bdh</del>, -bn, -br, -bz, -dg, <del>-dhl</del>, <del>-dhm</del>, <del>-dhn</del>, <del>-dhp</del>, -dm, -dr, -dz, <del>-dzh</del>, -fr, -ft, -gb, -gd, <del>-ghl</del>, <del>-ghn</del>, -ghr, <del>-ghsh</del>, -gn, -gsh, <del>-gtr</del>, -gz, <del>-hd</del>, <del>-hr</del>, -ht, <del>-kg</del>, <del>-khb</del>, <del>-khl</del>, -kht, <del>-khth</del>, -kl, -km, -kr, -ks, <del>-kth</del>, -lb, -lbh, -ld, -lgh, -lk, <del>-lksh</del>, -lm, <del>-lmg</del>, -ln, -lp, -ls, -lt, <del>-ltz</del>, <del>-lv</del>, -lz, <del>-mbr</del>, -mg, -ms, -mzh, -nd, <del>-ndg</del>, <del>-ndr</del>, <del>-ndsh</del>, -ngh, <del>-nghl</del>, -nr, -nsh, -nt, -nz, <del>-pn</del>, -ps, -psh, -rbh, -rd, <del>-rdh</del>, <del>-rdrg</del>, <del>-rdt</del>, -rf, <del>-rft</del>, -rgh, -rgz, -rkh, <del>-rksh</del>, -rl, <del>-rlg</del>, -rm, -rsh, -rsk, -rt, -rth, <del>-rv</del>, <del>-sg</del>, -shb, <del>-shg</del>, -shk, -shn, -sht, -sk, -sl, -sm, -sn, -sp, -sr, -st, <del>-tg</del>, <del>-thg</del>, <del>-thl</del>, <del>-thr</del>, -tl, <del>-tp</del>, -zb, -zd, -zhb, -zhd, <del>-zl</del>, -zn, -zt;
    * Nûrlâm additions: -kt, -lkh, -md, -mk, -msh, -mz, -nb, -nf, -rzh, -tr, -zhk;    * Nûrlâm additions: -kt, -lkh, -md, -mk, -msh, -mz, -nb, -nf, -rzh, -tr, -zhk;
-   * Theoretically possible, but not attested: -bg, -bzh, -dl, -dn, -gzh, -fm, -fn, -fp, -fk, -fs, -fsh, -fl, -kf, -khr, -kn, -kp, -ksh, -lf, -lsh, -mf, -mt, -np, -ns, -nzh, -pk, -pr, -pt, -sf, -shl, -shm, -shp, -shr, -zhg, -zhm, -zhn, -zhr, -zm, -zr;+   * Theoretically possible, but not attested: -bg, -bzh, -dl, -dn, -gzh, -fk, -fl, -fm, -fn, -fp, -kf, -khr, -kn, -kp, -ksh, -lf, -lsh, -mf, -mt, -np, -ns, -nzh, -pk, -pr, -pt,  -shl, -shm, -shp, -shr, -tk, -zhg, -zhm, -zhn, -zhr, -zm, -zr;
  
 Some consonants in final clusters probably were intended as derivational suffixes of unknown meaning like //-b// in //durb-//. Some consonants in final clusters probably were intended as derivational suffixes of unknown meaning like //-b// in //durb-//.
  
 Nûrlâm suggests that consonants in cluster should be either voiced or unvoiced (nasals and glides may join any), so clusters like "-tb" should be avoided (in favor of "-db"), however exceptions like "-gsh" exists. Also, only two consonants are allowed in clusters (digraphs and several consonants occured at joint of syllables do not count), with "skr-" and "-rsk" being exceptions. Nûrlâm suggests that consonants in cluster should be either voiced or unvoiced (nasals and glides may join any), so clusters like "-tb" should be avoided (in favor of "-db"), however exceptions like "-gsh" exists. Also, only two consonants are allowed in clusters (digraphs and several consonants occured at joint of syllables do not count), with "skr-" and "-rsk" being exceptions.
 +
 +As a general rule, two or more consonants of the same category (nasal, stop, fricative, glide, rhotic) can't form a cluster. Exceptions are some combinations of stops: -db, -dg, -gb, -gd, -kt.
  
 In some hard to pronounce consonant clusters the last consonant may become syllabic/vocalic: treat them like inserting very short //ə//, //ɯ//, or //ɨ// (transcribed with IPA as superscript [ᵊ], [ᵚ], and [ᶤ] respectively) between the consonants: "bhraf" (smoke) may be read as [βᵚɹaf], "dafr" (party) as [dafᵊɹ], but "dafrat" as ['daf.rat]. Letters //s//, //z//, //sh// and //zh// may also become hissing/buzzing long consonants: "ârsh" (day) may become [aːɹᵚʂː]. In some hard to pronounce consonant clusters the last consonant may become syllabic/vocalic: treat them like inserting very short //ə//, //ɯ//, or //ɨ// (transcribed with IPA as superscript [ᵊ], [ᵚ], and [ᶤ] respectively) between the consonants: "bhraf" (smoke) may be read as [βᵚɹaf], "dafr" (party) as [dafᵊɹ], but "dafrat" as ['daf.rat]. Letters //s//, //z//, //sh// and //zh// may also become hissing/buzzing long consonants: "ârsh" (day) may become [aːɹᵚʂː].
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 ==== Intonation ==== ==== Intonation ====
-Basing on citation from Appendix F to LOTR about language of orcs "dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt, too long removed from good to retain even verbal vigour, save in the ears of those to whom only the squalid sounds strong", it's assumed in Nûrlâm that orcs do not significantly alter tone and pitch inside one sentence for emphasis. So orcs usually speak in "shouting" tone, even in questions (especially on question particle "mar"). Sauron and his high-level servants were probably capable of more variative speech, but they use other languages when it comes to mind control, seduction and corruption.+Basing on citation from Appendix F to LOTR about language of orcs being "dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt, too long removed from good to retain even verbal vigour, save in the ears of those to whom only the squalid sounds strong", it's assumed in Nûrlâm that orcs do not significantly alter tone and pitch inside one sentence for emphasis. So orcs usually speak in "shouting" tone, even in questions (especially on question particle "mar"). Sauron and his high-level servants were probably capable of more variative speech, but they used other languages when it came to mind control, seduction and corruption.
  
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phonology.1746800157.txt.gz · Last modified: by morgoth