Phonotactics: Difference between revisions

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[[Toki Pona]]'s '''{{wp|phonotactics}}''', or rules for putting sounds together, are well defined. Unlike its [[phonology]], knowing the phonotactics is not needed to speak the language orally. It is most useful for creating [[name]]s and ''[[nimisin]]''.

[[Toki Pona]]'s '''{{wp|phonotactics}}''', or rules for putting sounds together, are well defined. Unlike its [[phonology]], knowing the phonotactics is not needed to speak the language orally. It is most useful for creating [[name]]s and {{tp|[[nimisin]]}}.

An *asterisk marks a sequence that is not allowed phonotactically.

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In its "Proper Names" lesson, {{pu}} lists the phonotactic rules in the following order.

# '''(C)V(''n'') syllable structure''': "Each syllable consists of a consonant plus a vowel, plus an optional ''n''."

# '''(C)V({{tp|n}}) syllable structure''': "Each syllable consists of a consonant plus a vowel, plus an optional {{tp|n}}."

# '''Null onset is word-initial only''': "The first syllable of a word does not need to begin with a consonant."

#: As a corollary, every syllable after the first <em>does</em> need to begin with a consonant, thus is CV(''n''). There are no adjacent vowels or {{wp|diphthong}}s. The sequence ''ana'' is syllabified as ''a''‧''na'' (2 morae), not ''an''‧''a'' (3 morae).

#: As a corollary, every syllable after the first <em>does</em> need to begin with a consonant, thus is CV({{tp|n}}). There are no adjacent vowels or {{wp|diphthong}}s. The sequence {{tp|ana}} is syllabified as {{tp|a‧na}} (2 morae), not {{tp|an‧a}} (3 morae).

# '''No ''*ti''''': "The syllables [''*'']''ti'' and [''*'']''tin'' become ''si'' and ''sin''."

# '''No {{tp|*ti}}''': "The syllables {{tp|[*]ti}} and {{tp|[*]tin}} become {{tp|si}} and {{tp|sin}}."

#: This rule concerns [[#Palatalization|palatalization]].

# '''No ''*wo'' or ''*wu''''': "The consonant ''w'' cannot appear before ''o'' or ''u''."

# '''No {{tp|*wo}} or {{tp|*wu}}''': "The consonant {{tp|w}} cannot appear before {{tp|o}} or {{tp|u}}."

# '''No ''*ji''''': "The consonant ''j'' cannot appear before ''i''."

# '''No {{tp|*ji}}''': "The consonant {{tp|j}} cannot appear before {{tp|i}}."

#: These two rules cover the same thing. ''*wo'', ''*wu'', and ''*ji'' are disallowed because the semivowel in the onset, /w/ or /j/, can be hard to distinguish from the vowel. The syllables would sound too close to ''o'', ''u'', and ''i'', respectively.

#: These two rules cover the same thing. {{tp|*wo}}, {{tp|*wu}}, and {{tp|*ji}} are disallowed because the semivowel in the onset, {{tp|w}} or {{tp|j}}, can be hard to distinguish from the vowel. The syllables would sound too close to {{tp|o}}, {{tp|u}}, and {{tp|i}}, respectively.

At least one other rule is often noted:

* '''No adjacent nasals.'''

*: In sequences like ''*anna'' and ''*anma'', the first syllable's coda ''-n'' would {{wp|Assimilation (phonology)|assimilate}} to the second syllable's onset nasal: respectively ''ana'' and ''ama''.<ref>Assimilation of coda ''-n'' is also responsible for words like ''anpa'' sometimes being pronounced like [ampa], and words like ''enko'' (an obscure ''nimisin'') being pronounced like [eŋko].<br />As a result, coda ''-n'' is sometimes defined as [m ~ n ~ ŋ], unlike onset ''n-'' which is strictly [n].</ref>

*: In sequences like {{tp|*anna}} and {{tp|*anma}}, the first syllable's coda {{tp|-n}} would {{wp|Assimilation (phonology)|assimilate}} to the second syllable's onset nasal: respectively {{tp|ana}} and {{tp|ama}}.<ref>Assimilation of coda {{tp|-n}} is also responsible for words like {{tp|anpa}} sometimes being pronounced like {{IPA|[ampa]}}, and words like {{tp|enko}} (an obscure {{tp|nimisin}}) being pronounced like {{IPA|[eŋko]}}.<br />As a result, coda {{tp|-n}} is sometimes defined as {{IPA|[m ~ n ~ ŋ]}}, unlike onset {{tp|n-}} which is strictly {{IPA|[n]}}.</ref>

==Palatalization==

''*ti'' is disallowed because of {{wp|Palatalization (sound change)|palatalization}}, a common sound shift that has occurred in many languages. An English example is the suffix ''-tion'', as in ''motion''. The /ti/ has been palatalized to /ʃ/, so it sounds like ''-sion'' as in ''mission''. For the same reason, ''*ti'' is changed to ''si''.

{{tp|*ti}} is disallowed because of {{wp|Palatalization (sound change)|palatalization}}, a common sound shift that has occurred in many languages. An English example is the suffix "-tion", as in "motion". The {{IPA|/ti/}} has been palatalized to {{IPA|/ʃ/}}, so it sounds like "-sion" as in "mission". For the same reason, {{tp|*ti}} is changed to {{tp|si}}.

Because /k/ can also be palatalized<ref>This is why the letter C, originally /k/, now has soft and hard sounds.</ref>, many languages merge [ki ti si]. There are no ''ki''–''si'' minimal pairs in the 120 ''[[nimi pu]]'', and among all [[ijo Linku#Word usage surveys|commonly used words]], only ''kin'' can be mistaken for ''sin''.

Because {{IPA|/k/}} can also be palatalized<ref>This is why the letter C, originally {{IPA|/k/}}, now has soft and hard sounds.</ref>, many languages merge {{IPA|[ki ti si]}}. There are no {{tp|ki–si}} minimal pairs in the 120 {{tp|[[nimi pu]]}}, and among all [[ijo Linku#Word usage surveys|commonly used words]], only {{tp|kin}} can be mistaken for {{tp|sin}}.

==''wuwojiti''==

=={{tp|wuwojiti}}==

{|class="wikitable"

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!colspan="2"|Alternatives

|-

!''*wu''(''n'')

!{{tp|*wu(n)}}

|''u''(''n'') ^

|{{tp|u(n)}} ^

|rowspan="2"|''wa''(''n'')

|rowspan="2"|{{tp|wa(n)}}

|-

!''*wo''(''n'')

!{{tp|*wo(n)}}

|''o''(''n'') ^

|{{tp|o(n)}} ^

|-

!''*ji''(''n'')

!{{tp|*ji(n)}}

|''i''(''n'') ^

|{{tp|i(n)}} ^

|''je''(''n'')

|{{tp|je(n)}}

|-

!''*ti''(''n'')

!{{tp|*ti(n)}}

|''si''(''n'')

|{{tp|si(n)}}

|''te''(''n'')

|{{tp|te(n)}}

|}

<center>^ <small>Word-initially</small></center>

</div>

'''''wuwojiti''''' is a mnemonic for the disallowed syllables in [[Toki Pona]] phonotactics: ''*wu'', ''*wo'', ''*ji'', ''*ti'', and their equivalents with coda ''-n''. Some less common ''nimisin'' flout this rule, often as a joke.

'''{{tp|wuwojiti}}''' is a mnemonic for the disallowed syllables in [[Toki Pona]] phonotactics: {{tp|*wu}}, {{tp|*wo}}, {{tp|*ji}}, {{tp|*ti}}, and their equivalents with coda {{tp|-n}}. Some less common {{tp|nimisin}} flout this rule, often as a joke.

==Notes==