Phonotactics Question/Help

Terra Branford

Terra Branford

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Háu!

I thought this was the best place for this topic. At first I thought just in Costa del Sol, but then I thought literature section, then spam and then here. If its in the wrong area, I'm so sorry. I looked around for similar threads and couldn't find anything.

So I'm studying Linguistics because I want (and hope) to major in it. A lot of things got me started in it, and I mean a lot. Mostly because I'm extremely interested in languages and another because I want to conlang. Very fun!

If any of you know of this and can help, please, please post. Anyways, here's my question:

Syllable structure. I have read Wikipedia, but its a bit hard to understand sometimes. If anyone could help me and explain (and teach) it to me, I'd really appreciate it. :)

Tókša akhé!

Terra~
 
I took a whole class on Phonetics and Phonology a little over a year ago because I'm majoring in Linguistics at my University. However, I forgot all the details on syllable structure. Fortunately, I still have the textbook from that class around here somewhere, and if I read through it a bit, it may jog my memory. I'll come back tomorrow and see what I have. :hmmm:
 
Philámayaye, Addleboy! I really appreciate it! :D

I've just gotten into (really got into it, getting better I mean) this like a few months ago (I plan on majoring in a lot of things) and have little resources :(
 
Thanks for posting, Ry. :)

Thank you for the suggest as well. I would read that, but I currently don't have funds to buy books right now. :(
 
The Public Library has a poor stock (I don't live in a big city...) of books, mostly child's books (picture books) and National GEO books and lots of fantasy and romance novels from the late 70s....
 
Phonotactics deals with phonological constraints if I recall correctly. :hmmm:

Basically, all languages have restrictions on syllable structure. Some are more restrictive than others.

Example:

English allows up to three consonants in an onset syllable. This can be seen in words like strike (onset is "str") and sprint (onset is "spr") but it does restrict the types of consonants that can be used in this type of onset. An English word wouldn't start with an onset such as "brt".

I'll use another example from one of my languages I made when I used to conlang. In this particular language, one of the restrictions was stops (plosives) + Approximants. So combinations such as "br" and "tr" wouldn't occur. Another was fricatives + fricatives which meant combinations such as "ff" or "fs" could not occur.

I'll see if I can find my some of my linguistics books and explain it in more detail. I'm a bit rusty. If you haven't already, you should view the language construction kit by Mark Rosenfelder. It's an excellent resource if you want to conlang. You'll find it at www. zompist.com.
 
Thanks for posting, Eroica! I appreciate it! :)

Yep, it deals with phonological constraints :D

I have read Mark and Pablo's sites a lot now, and I've already created much of my language, but Syllable structure is still foggy to me. I know that one can create their own phonological constraints, but I've having problems understanding the syllable structure code (or whatever it is called xD). Like so: " (C) (V) (C) (C) V (V) (C) (C)". (random example)

Does this basic building block restrict words from ever forming the opposite of what you build? What does the C/V (Consonant and Vowel) mean when out of the "()"? The minimal C/V, right?

What I mean is what if I have "(C) (V) (C) (C) V (V) (C) (C)" for my Syllable Structure. Would that mean each and every word had to start with a consonant (or vice-versa) and that it was -- depending on the Syllable Structure you created -- impossible to do otherwise? For example, using the above Syllable structure "(C) (V) (C) (C) V (V) (C) (C)", would the following be impossible to create?

Athumo

I don't think it does mean the words are hard-pressed to the SS code, but I'm not sure and Wiki... >.>

Thanks again!

Terra~

*You conlang/conlan'd? Awesome xD*
 
*I hope double posting was okay in this situation? I'm in dire need, but I can't seem to find anything on the internet about it...*

I completely forgot about this thread and my ignorance in the subject.
sweatdrop.gif


If anyone could provide some assistance to the above and below, I'd appreciate it very much.
30dhxk3.jpg


SOV Order:

I have read up on it quite a few times and have had some things explained to me, but I was wondering if anyone could help me with my last few questions?

I know about Subordinators, demonstratives, postpositions and prepositions. I know where they are placed, but I was wondering what about articles? Or anything else the Wikipedia page doesn't mention? When making the sentence in SOV order, where do you place the "parts" it doesn't mention in the Wikia? Like Articles? :hmm:

Philámayayapi!
 
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Bumpy. I hope once more this is okay. :( I really need any kind of help. xD

Okay, I've pretty much have got Syllable Structure down (understandable, I mean)! A lot of people helped me on another forum and its so much clearer. Have a lot more to understand, but oh well.

So now the only thing I can't find anything on or that no one I have encountered knows, is SOV order. Its the last thing standing in my way (besides Sound change :sweat) to almost completing a basic/student knowledge in Linguistics and becoming a better Linguistic student. >.>

So if anyone could explain SOV order for me, I would really appreciate it (and rep you!)!

Thanks for reading!

Terra~
 
I'm not sure I understand this. Is there even such a thing as SOV order in English? I don't think there is. I can't think of a single sentence in this order.
 
Not in English. :P I would like to know more about Subject-Object-Verb sentence structure (not for English). :)
 
I could tell you a little bit about SOV structure in Japanese, maybe. Would that help you at all?

EDIT: Also, do you know much about Thematic Roles (Theta Roles)? My explanation would go smoother if you do. I'll post something when I get up tomorrow morning.
 
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That would be good! Wikipedia is pretty vague on the matter...especially Lakhota SOV and stuff >.>

Thematic roles? No, sadly I have not learned about that. I would like to know if you can explain. :)
 
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