Difference between revisions of "Sounds of Navajo"

''Navajo'' bitsʼą́ą́dę́ę́ʼ
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Navajo edit)
tʼ (Added link to Íiyisíí Naaltsoos)
 
(17 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
Here is an introduction to the sound system of Navajo.
+
Here is an introduction to the phonemic sound system of Navajo, in the Navajo orthography and International Phonetic Alphabet (in backslashes).
  
 
==Vowels==
 
==Vowels==
−
===Inventory===
+
===[[Monophthongs]]===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border="1" cellpadding="3"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border="1" cellpadding="3"
 
! rowspan=2 |
 
! rowspan=2 |
−
! rowspan=2 |Front
+
! colspan="4" |[[Monophthongs#Front|Front]]
−
! rowspan=2 |Central
+
! colspan="4" |[[Monophthongs#Back|Back]]
−
! colspan=2 |Back
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
!Unrounded
+
! colspan="2" |Oral
−
!Rounded
+
! colspan="2" |Nasal
 +
! colspan="2" |Oral
 +
! colspan="2" |Nasal
 
|-
 
|-
 
!align="left"|High
 
!align="left"|High
−
|align="center"|i, i:, ĩ, ĩ:
+
|[[Monophthongs#i .2F.C9.AA.2F|i /i/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#ii .2Fi.CB.90.2F|ii /iː/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C4.AF .2F.C9.AA.CC.83.2F|į /ɪ̃/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C4.AF .2F.C4.A9.CB.90.2F|įį /ĩː/]]
 +
| align="center" |
 
|
 
|
−
|align="center"|ɯ, ɯ:, ɯ̃, ɯ̃:
+
| align="center" |
−
|align="center"|u, u:, ũ, ũ:
+
|
 +
|-
 +
! align="left" |Mid
 +
|[[Monophthongs#e .2Fe.2F|e /e/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#e .2Fe.CB.90.2F|e /eː/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C4.99 .2F.E1.BA.BD.2F|ę /ẽ/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C4.99.C4.99 .2F.E1.BA.BD.CB.90.2F|ęę /ẽː/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#o .2Fo.2F|o /o/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#oo .2Fo.CB.90.2F|oo /oː/]]
 +
| align="center" |[[Monophthongs#.C7.AB .2F.C3.B5.2F|ǫ /õ/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C7.AB.C7.AB .2F.C3.B5.CB.90.2F|ǫǫ /õː/]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|Mid High
+
! align="left" |Low
−
|align="center"|e, e:
+
|
 
|
 
|
−
|align="center"|ɤ, ɤ:
 
−
|align="center"|o, o:
 
−
|-
 
−
!align="left"|Mid Low
 
−
|align="center"|ɛ, ɛ:, ɛ̃, ɛ̃:
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
−
|align="center"|ɔ, ɔ:, ɔ̃, ɔ̃:
+
|[[Monophthongs#a .2F.C9.91.2F|a /ɑ/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#aa .2F.C9.91.CB.90.2F|aa /ɑː/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C4.85 .2F.C9.91.CC.83.2F|ą /ɑ̃/]]
 +
|[[Monophthongs#.C4.85.C4.85 .2F.C9.91.CC.83.CB.90.2F|ąą /ɑ̃ː/]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|High
+
|}
−
|
+
 
−
|align="center"|a, a:, ã, ã:
+
===[[Diphthongs]]===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border=" cellpadding="3" 1"
 +
! rowspan="2" |
 +
![[Diphthongs#Front|Front]]
 +
! colspan="2" |[[Diphthongs#Back|Back]]
 +
|-
 +
!Vɪ̯
 +
!Vɪ̯
 +
!Vo̯
 +
|-
 +
! align="left" |High
 
|
 
|
 +
| rowspan="2" align="center" |[[Diphthongs#oi .2F.CA.8A.C9.AA.CC.AF.2F|oi /ʊɪ̯/]]
 +
| align="center" |
 +
|-
 +
! align="left" |Mid
 +
|[[Diphthongs#ei .2Fe.C9.AA.CC.AF.2F|ei /eɪ̯/]]
 +
| align="center" |
 +
|-
 +
! align="left" |Low
 
|
 
|
 +
|[[Diphthongs#ai .2F.C9.91.C9.AA.CC.AF.2F|ai /ɑɪ̯/]]
 +
|[[Diphthongs#ao .2F.C9.91o.CC.AF.2F|ao /ɑo̯/]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
−
 
−
The nine-way distinction demonstrated above is generally accepted.  However, some scholars (Ladefoged et al. 1998, Gillies 1993) note that the high back unrounded vowel may be merging with [u] and/or [ɤ] in some dialects.
 
−
 
−
===Diphthongs===
 
−
 
−
There are some diphthongs.
 
−
 
−
===Nasality===
 
−
 
−
Some vowels are nasal.
 
−
 
−
===Length===
 
−
 
−
Long vowels are about twice as long as short vowels in the same environment.
 
  
 
==Consonants==
 
==Consonants==
 
===Inventory===
 
===Inventory===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border="1" cellpadding="3"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border="1" cellpadding="3"
−
! rowspan=2 |
+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
−
! rowspan=2 |[[Labial (definition)|Labial]]
+
! rowspan=2 |Bilabial
−
! rowspan=2 |[[Dental (definition)|Dental]]
+
! colspan="3" |Alveolar
−
! rowspan=2 |[[Alveolar (definition)|Alveolar]]
+
! rowspan="2" |Palatal
−
! colspan=2 |[[Palatal (definition)|Palatal]]
+
! colspan="2" |Velar
−
! rowspan=2 |[[Velarized (definition)|Velarized]]
+
! rowspan=2 |Glottal
−
! rowspan=2 |[[Velar (definition)|Velar]]
 
−
! rowspan=2 |[[Glottal (definition)|Glottal]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
!Coronal
+
!Plain
−
!Dorsal
+
!Lateral
 +
!Affricate
 +
!Plain
 +
!Labialized
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|[[Stop (definition)|Stop]]
+
! colspan="2" align="left" |[[Nasal]]
−
|align="center"|pʰ, p
+
|align="center"|[[Nasal#m .2Fm.2F|m /m/]]
−
|align="center"|t̪ʰ, t̪
+
|align="center"|[[Nasal#m .2Fm.2F|n /n/]]
 +
|
 
|
 
|
−
|align="center"|tʲʰ, tʲ
+
|align="center"|
−
|align="center"|kʲʰ, kʲ
+
|align="center"|
−
|align="center"|kʰ, k
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|[[Nasal (definition)|Nasal]]
+
! rowspan="3" |[[Stop]]
−
|align="center"|m
+
!Unaspirated
−
|
+
|[[Stop#b .2Fp.2F|b /p/]]
−
|align="center"|n
+
|[[Stop#d .2Ft.2F|d /t/]]
−
|align="center"|ɲ
+
|[[Stop#dl .2Ft.C9.AC.2F|dl /tɬ/]]
−
|
+
|[[Stop#dz .2F.CA.A6.2F|dz /ʦ/]]
−
|align="center"|nˠ
+
|[[Stop#j .2F.CA.A7.2F|j /ʧ/]]
−
|
+
|[[Stop#g .2Fk.2F|g /k/]]
 
|
 
|
 +
|[[Stop#.CA.BC .2F.CA.94.2F|ʼ /ʔ/]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|[[Fricative (definition)|Fricative]]
+
!Aspirated
−
|align="center"|f, v
 
 
|
 
|
−
|align="center"|s
+
|[[Stop#t .2Ft.CB.A3.2F|t /tˣ/]]
−
|align="center"|ʃ
+
|[[Stop#t.C5.82 .2Ft.C9.AC.CA.B0.2F|tł /tɬʰ/]]
−
|align="center"|ç, ʝ
+
|[[Stop#ts .2F.CA.A6.CA.B0.2F|ts /ʦʰ/]]
−
|align="center"|x, ɣ
+
|[[Stop#ch .2F.CA.A7.CA.B0.2F|ch /ʧʰ/]]
 +
|[[Stop#k .2Fk.CB.A3.2F|k /kˣ/]]
 +
|[[Stop#kw .2Fk.CA.B7.CB.A3.2F|kw /kʷˣ/]]
 
|
 
|
−
|align=center|h
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|[[Lateral (definition)|Lateral]]
+
!Ejective
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|[[Stop#t.CA.BC .2Ft.CA.BC.2F|tʼ /tʼ/]]
−
|align="center"|l
+
|[[Stop#t.C5.82.CA.BC .2Ft.C9.AC.CA.BC.2F|tłʼ /tɬʼ/]]
−
|align="center"|lʲ
+
|[[Stop#ts.CA.BC .2F.CA.A6.CA.BC.2F|tsʼ /ʦʼ/]]
−
|
+
|[[Stop#ch .2F.CA.A7.CA.B0.2F|chʼ /ʧʼ/]]
−
|align="center"|l̪ˠ
+
|[[Stop#k.CA.BC .2Fk.CA.BC.2F|kʼ /kʼ/]]
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|[[Rhotic (definition)|Rhotic]]
+
! rowspan="2" align="left" |[[Fricative]]
 +
!Voiceless
 +
| align="center" |
 +
|[[Fricative#s .2Fs.2F|s /s/]]
 +
|[[Fricative#.C5.82 .2F.C9.AC.2F|ł /ɬ/]]
 +
| align="center" |
 +
| align="center" |[[Fricative#sh .2F.CA.83.2F|sh /ʃ/]]
 +
| align="center" |[[Fricative#h.2C x .2Fx.2F|h, x /x/]]
 +
|[[Fricative#hw .2Fx.CA.B7.2F|hw /xʷ/]]
 +
| align="center" |
 +
|-
 +
!Voiced
 
|
 
|
 +
|[[Fricative#z .2Fz.2F|z /z/]]
 +
| rowspan="2" |[[Approximant#l .2F.C9.AE.7El.2F|l /ɮ~l/]]
 
|
 
|
−
|align="center"|ɾ
+
|[[Fricative#zh .2F.CA.92.2F|zh /ʒ/]]
−
|align="center"|ɾʲ
+
| rowspan="2" |[[Approximant#gh .2F.C9.A3.2F|gh /ɣ/]]
−
|
+
| rowspan="2" |[[Approximant#w .2F.C9.A3.CA.B7.7Ew.2F|w /ɣʷ~w/]]
−
|align="center"|rˠ
 
−
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
!align="left"|[[Approximant (definition)|Approximant]]
+
! colspan="2" align="left" |[[Approximant]]
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 +
| align="center" |
 +
| align="center" |[[Approximant#y .2Fj.2F|y /j/]]
 
|
 
|
−
|colspan=2 align="center"|j
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
 
−
===Allophones===
 
−
 
−
===Stops===
 
−
 
−
====Voicing and Aspiration====
 
−
 
−
===Sonorants===
 
−
 
−
 
−
{| class="wikitable"
 
−
! rowspan=1 |
 
−
! rowspan=1 |Tense
 
−
! rowspan=1 |Lax
 
−
|-
 
−
!align="left"|Broad
 
−
|align="center"|L
 
−
|align="center"|l
 
−
|-
 
−
!align="left"|Slender
 
−
|align="center"|L'
 
−
|align="center"|l'
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
===Consonant distribution===
 
−
 
−
 
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 +
Return to: [[Main Page]], [[Íiyisíí Naaltsoos]]
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
−
*http://www.sas.rochester.edu/lin/DeneSpeechAtlas/
+
*[http://www.sas.rochester.edu/lin/DeneSpeechAtlas/ Dene Speech Atlas | Joyce McDonough (rochester.edu)]
 +
*[[wikipedia:Navajo_phonology|Navajo phonology - Wikipedia]]
 +
*[http://emeld.org/school/case/navajo/phonology.html E-MELD School of Best Practice: Navajo Phonology (emeld.org)]
 +
*[https://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/tfernal1/nla/grammar/Chapter%20%202%20%20The%20Sounds.pdf Navajo Grammar, Chapter 2: The Sounds (swarthmore.edu)]
 
*
 
*
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
  
−
- Dene Speech Atlas  
+
McDonough, Joyce Mary. 2003. ''The Navajo Sound System''. Boston: Springer Science & Business Media. (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-010-0207-3)
 +
 
 +
McDonough, Joyce. 2014. Dene Speech Atlas. ''University of Rochester, Department of Linguistics''. (http://www.sas.rochester.edu/lin/DeneSpeechAtlas/)
  
 
[[Category: Phonology]]
 
[[Category: Phonology]]
 
[[Category: Phonetics]]
 
[[Category: Phonetics]]

kʼadígíí (06:34, 15 Tʼą́ą́chil 2022)

Here is an introduction to the phonemic sound system of Navajo, in the Navajo orthography and International Phonetic Alphabet (in backslashes).

Vowels

Monophthongs

Front Back
Oral Nasal Oral Nasal
High i /i/ ii /iː/ į /ɪ̃/ įį /ĩː/
Mid e /e/ e /eː/ ę /ẽ/ ęę /ẽː/ o /o/ oo /oː/ ǫ /õ/ ǫǫ /õː/
Low a /ɑ/ aa /ɑː/ ą /ɑ̃/ ąą /ɑ̃ː/

Diphthongs

Front Back
Vɪ̯ Vɪ̯ Vo̯
High oi /ʊɪ̯/
Mid ei /eɪ̯/
Low ai /ɑɪ̯/ ao /ɑo̯/

Consonants

Inventory

Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plain Lateral Affricate Plain Labialized
Nasal m /m/ n /n/
Stop Unaspirated b /p/ d /t/ dl /tɬ/ dz /ʦ/ j /ʧ/ g /k/ ʼ /ʔ/
Aspirated t /tˣ/ tł /tɬʰ/ ts /ʦʰ/ ch /ʧʰ/ k /kˣ/ kw /kʷˣ/
Ejective tʼ /tʼ/ tłʼ /tɬʼ/ tsʼ /ʦʼ/ chʼ /ʧʼ/ kʼ /kʼ/
Fricative Voiceless s /s/ ł /ɬ/ sh /ʃ/ h, x /x/ hw /xʷ/
Voiced z /z/ l /ɮ~l/ zh /ʒ/ gh /ɣ/ w /ɣʷ~w/
Approximant y /j/

See Also

Return to: Main Page, Íiyisíí Naaltsoos

External Links

References

McDonough, Joyce Mary. 2003. The Navajo Sound System. Boston: Springer Science & Business Media. (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-010-0207-3)

McDonough, Joyce. 2014. Dene Speech Atlas. University of Rochester, Department of Linguistics. (http://www.sas.rochester.edu/lin/DeneSpeechAtlas/)

"https://navajo.unm.edu/w/index.php?title=Sounds_of_Navajo&oldid=1141" bitsʼą́ą́dę́ę́ʼ