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 |
[[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]]}}. |
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An *asterisk marks a sequence that is not allowed phonotactically. |
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. |
In its "Proper Names" lesson, {{pu}} lists the phonotactic rules in the following order. |
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# '''(C)V( |
# '''(C)V({{tp|n}}) syllable structure''': "Each syllable consists of a consonant plus a vowel, plus an optional {{tp|n}}." |
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# '''Null onset is word-initial only''': "The first syllable of a word does not need to begin with a consonant." |
# '''Null onset is word-initial only''': "The first syllable of a word does not need to begin with a consonant." |
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#: As a corollary, every syllable after the first <em>does</em> need to begin with a consonant, thus is CV( |
#: 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). |
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# '''No |
# '''No {{tp|*ti}}''': "The syllables {{tp|[*]ti}} and {{tp|[*]tin}} become {{tp|si}} and {{tp|sin}}." |
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#: This rule concerns [[#Palatalization|palatalization]]. |
#: This rule concerns [[#Palatalization|palatalization]]. |
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# '''No |
# '''No {{tp|*wo}} or {{tp|*wu}}''': "The consonant {{tp|w}} cannot appear before {{tp|o}} or {{tp|u}}." |
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# '''No |
# '''No {{tp|*ji}}''': "The consonant {{tp|j}} cannot appear before {{tp|i}}." |
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#: These two rules cover the same thing. |
#: 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. |
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At least one other rule is often noted: |
At least one other rule is often noted: |
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* '''No adjacent nasals.''' |
* '''No adjacent nasals.''' |
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*: In sequences like |
*: 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> |
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==Palatalization== |
==Palatalization== |
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{{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}}. |
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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 |
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}}. |
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== |
=={{tp|wuwojiti}}== |
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<div style="float:right;"> |
<div style="float:right;"> |
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{|class="wikitable" |
{|class="wikitable" |
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!colspan="2"|Alternatives |
!colspan="2"|Alternatives |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
!{{tp|*wu(n)}} |
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| |
|{{tp|u(n)}} ^ |
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|rowspan="2"| |
|rowspan="2"|{{tp|wa(n)}} |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
!{{tp|*wo(n)}} |
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| |
|{{tp|o(n)}} ^ |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
!{{tp|*ji(n)}} |
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| |
|{{tp|i(n)}} ^ |
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| |
|{{tp|je(n)}} |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
!{{tp|*ti(n)}} |
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|{{tp|si(n)}} |
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|{{tp|te(n)}} |
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|} |
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<center>^ <small>Word-initially</small></center> |
<center>^ <small>Word-initially</small></center> |
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</div> |
</div> |
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''' |
'''{{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. |
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<br style="clear:both;" /> |
<br style="clear:both;" /> |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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<references /> |
<references /> |
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{{General}} |