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Medially between two vowels:- |
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| |
| 1. |
[áyúwè] |
/áyúwè/ |
left handed |
| 2. |
[ wó] |
/wó/ |
leaf |
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/y/
It is a voiced palatal semivowel or frictionless continuant. This
also has an intermediate status between vowel and consonant. When
this sound is produced tongue height is little higher than the height
for the corresponding vowel and little lower than the height for
the corresponding fricative. It occurs initially, medially and finally
in a word.
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Examples
for [y] :- |
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| 1. |
[yúkà]
|
/yúkà/
|
bandage
|
| 2. |
[yórò] |
/yórò/ |
insect |
|
3. |
[yó kòk>]
|
/yókòk/
|
spoon
|
| 4. |
[yóthì] |
/yóthì/
|
banana |
| 5. |
[yónr ] |
/yónr/ |
sword |
|
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Medially
between two vowels :- |
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| |
| |
| 1. |
[háyì] |
/háyì/
|
plain |
| 2. |
[háyò]
|
/háyò/
|
marsh
|
| 3. |
[nóy ] |
/nóy/
|
innocent |
| 4. |
[tíyì]
|
/tíyì/
|
seven |
| 5. |
[páy] |
/páy/ |
spider |
|
|
|
|
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Medially
before the following consonant :-
rh. |
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| |
| |
| 1. |
[ póyrhórò] |
/póyrhórò/ |
boy |
|
|
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Medially
after the following consonants :-
p,
m, kh, ,
ch, |
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| |
|
|
| |
| |
| 1. |
[ts pyóthì] |
/tspyóthì/ |
mango |
| 2. |
[myókù] |
/myókù/ |
palm |
| 3. |
[tsókhyù] |
/tsókhyù/ |
mosquito |
| 4. |
[myámò] |
/myámò/ |
to
chant |
| 5. |
[vàchyà] |
/váchyá/ |
allow
(Imp) |
|
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Finally
|
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| |
| |
| 1. |
[pnóy] |
/pnóy/
|
teacher |
| 2. |
[ltháy] |
/ltháy/
|
murderer |
| 3. |
[ v¡y] |
/vay/
|
insanity |
| 4. |
[kháy] |
/kháy/
|
illiterate |
| 5. |
[nthò] |
/nthò/
|
pious |
|
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Syllabic Pattern : General remarks
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| |
A syllable is defined as a sequence
of phonemes with one peak of sonority. Thus, in each syllable vowel
has the peak of sonority. A syllable ending in a vowel is called
open syllable and a syllable ending in a consonant is called closed
syllable.
In Lotha, like many other languages
only vowels make the nucleus of the syllable with the co-occurring
tone. Each vowel is a peak of the syllable with one of the three
tones i.e. rising. falling, level. Therefore, there is no non-syllabic
vowel in Lotha. Hence, the number of syllables in a word is equal
to the number of vowels in it.
As said above, Lotha being a tone
language all vowels carry one tone or the other. A vowel that carries
a tone constitutes a minimal syllable. A vowel may be preceded by
one or more consonants or followed by one or more consonants. Consonants
or sequences of consonants at the beginning of a vowel is called
onset of the first syllable, consonants or sequences of consonants
at the end of the vowel constitutes the coda of the last syllable.
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Open syllables and Closed Syllables
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| |
Lotha has open as well as closed
syllables. All vowels can occur in the open syllables in the initial
position of a word except ‘N’
which does not occur in the initial position in an open syllable.
Examples for open syllables in the initial position :
A syllable is defined as a sequence
of phonemes with one peak of sonority. Thus, in each syllable vowel
has the peak of sonority. A syllable ending in a vowel is called
open syllable and a syllable ending in a consonant is called closed
syllable.
In Lotha, like many other languages
only vowels make the nucleus of the syllable with the co-occurring
tone. Each vowel is a peak of the syllable with one of the three
tones i.e. rising. falling, level. Therefore, there is no non-syllabic
vowel in Lotha. Hence, the number of syllables in a word is equal
to the number of vowels in it.
As said above, Lotha being a tone
language all vowels carry one tone or the other. A vowel that carries
a tone constitutes a minimal syllable. A vowel may be preceded by
one or more consonants or followed by one or more consonants. Consonants
or sequences of consonants at the beginning of a vowel is called
onset of the first syllable, consonants or sequences of consonants
at the end of the vowel constitutes the coda of the last syllable.
|
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1.
[i] ¢ ù
to sow
seed
|
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2.
[u]  kónà
circle
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