[YG Conlang Archives] > [Latejami group] > messages [Date Index] [Thread Index] >
Here are two possible solutions to the pronunciation problem. The first
is simple, and most words will not change, but it's somewhat contrived
since it intentionally introduces an irregularity. The second solution
will lengthen almost every word in the language, but is completely
regular. Both solutions are much easier to pronounce.
******************************************
Solution #1:
Root morphemes (i.e., modifiers and classifiers) will have one of the
four forms:
CV, CwV, CVV, CVS, CVSV, or CVna
Note that the special extender syllable "na" will no longer be a suffix
- this is the irregularity. Instead, the 0/A suffix will be "-nja".
One could also consider it irregular because CwV is allowed but not CyV.
All current CyV will be converted to CVna. For example, "sya" becomes
"sana", "tye" becomes "tena", and so on. The corresponding modifier
will also change. Thus, "dye" will become "dena".
I can leave all CwV forms as they are currently, or change some of them
to CVna. For example, I can NOT change "twe" to "tena" because "tye"
must become "tena". However, if I want to, I CAN change "twi" to
"tina", since "tyi" does not exist. The corresponding modifier will
also change. Thus, if "twi" becomes "tina", then "dwi" will become
"dina".
Here are several examples (note that I DID convert as many CwV as
possible to CVna):
Old: Bweko dwise vapwe.
New: Bweko dinase vapwe.
English: The doctor liked the cat.
Tayne sya fawma se jwakomo geku to zawtwa byefa jasi?
Tayne sana fawma se janakomo geku to zawtwa benafa jasi?
Are there a lot of frightened people in that building?
Fawma fe to zawtwa vwifa vopyumu dafa.
Fawma fe to zawtwa vinafa vopunamu dafa.
There was a fire in the hotel near the airport.
Te pa gozwase tay sya gogyoca ligogyose twa gofa.
Te pa gozwase tay sana gogonaca ligogonase twa gofa.
I told the teacher that the students may be studying at the school.
Te vezayse pa vyocuma dwifa foy tona fe.
Te vezayse pa vonacuma dinafa foy tonja fe.
The fireman told me that my doctor's office was closed because of the fire.
Jutay sya cuma jwapwe twe jutay vacanya gepyu fa zefoy.
Jutay sana cuma janapwe twe jutay vacanya gepuna fa zefoy.
The bear isn't imaginary and doesn't live far from our house.
Tayne zupyumba dwepa lideta gutoa gisye vyofaw?
Tayne zupunamba dwepa lideta gutoa gisena vonafaw?
Did you put the colorful parrots next to the open window?
I ran the test on all the example and drill sentences in Lessons 1-6,
and the byte counts are:
Ladekwa bytes = 7155, and English bytes = 8360
[excluding punctuation but including spaces between words]
In other words, even with the use of "na", the English sentences are
about 17% longer on average.
******************************************
Solution #2:
Root morphemes will have the same forms as now. However, ANY morpheme
can be used as either a modifier or a classifier. The last morpheme in
a root will be the classifier, and any root morphemes that precede the
classifier will be interpreted as modifiers. Thus, we can have roots
such as "bajoy" and "pacoy", in which "ba" and "pa" are modifiers and
"joy" and "coy" are classifiers.
Since twice as many CV's are available for both modifiers and
classifiers, the number of semi-vowels needed is greatly reduced and can
be assigned to the less-used morphemes.
However, this approach is not inherently self-segregating, since there
is no way to determine when one root ends and the next root begins,
unless the words contain prefixes or suffixes. Because self-segregation
is one of my most important requirements, EACH word will have to have at
least one suffix. Most of the time, the suffix will be a part-of-speech
suffix. However, a part-of-speech suffix will not be needed if another
suffix is used. For example, the numeric adjective meaning 'one' must
be "bakumo", but the derived verb meaning 'unify/combine into one' is
"bakumpa". The verb suffix "-ma" is not needed because the A/P-d suffix
"-mpa" terminates the root and provides the part-of-speech.
In addition, two new part-of-speech suffixes must be created. The
tense-aspect and modal disjuncts will use "-mye", and true conjunctions
will use "-myu".
Here are several examples:
Old: Buca pa.
New: Pucama bami.
English: I worked.
Buca gogyose dweku.
Pucama kodusemi twekumo.
The two students worked.
Gogyoca sene twa gokyu jasi?
Koducama sene jeme kocawmi casimo?
Who studied at that desk?
Sya vigica pa twe gogyoca Lajonse.
Cimye figicama bami twemyu koducama Lajonsemi.
I'm reading and John is studying.
Gyote bose pa bukyu geku to.
Dudema bosemi bami pucawmi gekumo tomo.
The plumber asked me for a lot of tables.
Gote se dweku pa jutay daca byeti.
Kodema semi twekumo bami jutamye dacama fedimi.
The two people explained to me that the vehicle didn't fly.
Tayne te pa dwepa bovuca gogyose bweke dweku?
Tane dema bami twebami bofucama kodusemi pegemo twekumo?
Did I tell you that the two friendly students drank?
Sya sanzu beco gisye dace dweku to twe disye ke vuku to.
Cimye sanzu bejomi gipoymi dajamo twekumo tomo twemyu dipoymi gemo fukumo tomo.
The hallway has two high windows and five big doors.
Dapyuma vapwe jabyeku vezayti.
Dabuma fapemi cafekumo vesaydimi.
The sixth cat was under the firetruck.
Tayne sya gyote dwepa pa libyekyu sa dase?
Tane cimye dudema twebami bami lifecawmi samu dasemi?
Are you asking me for the pilot's furniture?
Sya bukyuma byekyu si.
Cimye pucawma fecawmi simo.
This piece of furniture is a table.
Sya guko byase byugipya vuku jasi.
Cimye kukoma tesemi bugitemi fukumo casimo.
The technician is undecided about those five televisions.
Tayne jikomba vese dwepa zawtwambanya bukyu veco?
Tane bawkomba vesemi twebami zajembanya pucawmi vejomi?
Did the chef remind you to put the table in the kitchen?
Dwicumpa pa bopya punke kyu to.
Toyjumpa bami botemi punke cawmi tomo.
I broke the washing machine with a chair.
And here are the byte counts for Lessons 1-6:
Ladekwami bytes = 8800, and English bytes = 8360
Thus, the Ladekwami sentences are, on average, 5% longer than the
English sentences.
******************************************
I haven't decided which approach I prefer. Let me know what you think.
Regards,
Rick Morneau
http://www.eskimo.com/~ram