Thexar-IV: The-Sha-Ruun — Sha-El 02: Sha-Thar Vokh-El — Phonology
"The throat of a Xha'Ruun is a musical instrument. Within it, 24 consonants and 8 vowels — 32 notes from which an infinite symphony of speech is composed." — Academician of Phonetics, Khal-Ven
Ruun-ak rass: → rhu [Thexar-IV, Sha-El 01, "Sha-Thar The-El"], → rhu [Thexar-IV, Sha-El 03, "Grammar: Overview"] Mor-ven: Phonology = rules of organizing sounds into words and phrases. If phonetics describes the inventory, phonology describes the regularities of its use: syllable structure, stress, vowel harmony, assimilation. Syllable (C)(C)V(C)(C); dynamic stress on the root; vowel harmony by backness.
2.1 Phonotactics
Syllable structure: (C)(C)V(C)(C)
| Position | Possible Sounds |
|---|---|
| C₁ (initial) | Any consonant |
| C₂ (initial) | r, l, w, j |
| V (nucleus) | Any vowel |
| C₃ (final) | Any consonant |
| C₄ (final) | s, ʃ, t, d, n |
Constraints on C₂ (only sonorants r, l, w, j) and C₄ (only s, ʃ, t, d, n) = the key rules of phonotactics. Forbidden combinations resolved by epenthesis of the neutral ə.
2.2 Stress
Dynamic, on the first syllable of the root. Non-phonemic (does not change word meaning).
Stress serves as a word boundary and does not depend on morphological complexity: with suffixes added it remains on the root, facilitating recognition of the lexical core.
2.3 Vowel Harmony
Assimilation by backness: suffixes adapt to the vowel of the root.
Vowels in neighbouring morphemes can influence each other’s pronunciation. Such phonetic adjustment does not create a new case: noun -ven is dative, while spatial inessive uses -the. An ending’s position and function are established before its pronunciation is described.
2.4 Assimilation
Consonant assimilation:
- By voicing — voicing/devoicing at junctions
- By place — assimilation of n → ŋ before velars
- Progressive — in suffixes after voiceless consonants
These processes motivate the allomorphy of morphemes (→ rhu [Thexar-IV, Sha-El 04, "14 Cases"]).
2.5 Tone and Prosody
Pitch and intonation mark phrase boundaries, stance and emphasis. They do not replace the four source suffixes -ven, -zal, -mor and -thar in finite declarative predicates.
Ruun Ven
- Syllable structure (C)(C)V(C)(C) with constraints on C₂ and C₄.
- Dynamic stress on the first syllable of the root, non-phonemic.
- Vowel harmony by backness — a morphophonological process.
- Assimilation by voicing and place.
- Tones perform grammatical and prosodic functions.