Phonotactics Question/Help

[zaffu]

What about if something like this: (C)(C)(V)V(C)(C)? Would it work like this: "Chaust" = ch *(C)(C)* - au *(V)V* - st *(C)(C)*

You could simplify that. "ch" is an affricate, so I'd just count it as one consonant. And yes, I'd just count diphthongs as single vowels too.

And for nasal vowels or liquid consonants, they get their own separate () or lack of in the SS, right? Or do you include nasals within the Vs and LC within the Cs? What I mean is: (C*also liquids*)V*also nasal vowels*(C*also liquids*)

When you see something like (n) that means you can use an optional "n" in that particular position (but only "n"). Or (r,l,n) means you can use an optional "r" or an "l" or an "n" in that position, but not any other consonant. But (C) means you can use any consonant, including nasals, liquids, stops and so on in that position. r, l, m, n, etc. are all members of the set of Consonants, C. So no, they don't have to be specified seperately if you mean "all consonants."

But you do see them specified seperately a lot, because consonant clusters that include a nasal or a liquid are allowed in more languages than consonant clusters that are any two+ consonants thrown together. Like, more languages will let a word start with "pra" or "bla" than "pka" or "bza."

[Alex]

You could simplify that. "ch" is an affricate, so I'd just count it as one consonant. And yes, I'd just count diphthongs as single vowels too.

Ah, okay then! I think I'm understanding this now! Thank you so much!
*Yea, /tɕ/ is single xD*

When you see something like (n) that means you can use an optional "n" in that particular position (but only "n"). Or (r,l,n) means you can use an optional "r" or an "l" or an "n" in that position, but not any other consonant. But (C) means you can use any consonant, including nasals, liquids, stops and so on in that position. r, l, m, n, etc. are all members of the set of Consonants, C. So no, they don't have to be specified seperately if you mean "all consonants."

But you do see them specified seperately a lot, because consonant clusters that include a nasal or a liquid are allowed in more languages than consonant clusters that are any two+ consonants thrown together. Like, more languages will let a word start with "pra" or "bla" than "pka" or "bza."

Okay then, I guess I would just keep it as (C) so I don't over confuse the matter later, or something. Best to keep it small, I think.

Thanks so much zaffu for all the help! I appreciate it very, very much! :3 If I have something else to ask about Syllable Structure, may I ask it here?

Okay, now all I have to do is learn about SOV order and then I can move on.

[zaffu]

If I have something else to ask about Syllable Structure, may I ask it here?

Go ahead. If I know the answer (or if I think I know the answer ), I'll try to help.

Happy conlanging!

[Alex]

Thanks for answering my questions and offering help for me zaffu!

I have been working on it, and I would like to ask if I am properly understanding it.

Here is a SS I made:

(C)(C)V(C)(C)(V)(C)

R (C) o V th (C) a i (V) [< Rothai]

S (C) c (C) a V l (C) [< Scal]
h (C) e V r (C) a (V) [< hera]

L(C) y V g (C) i (V) [< Lygi]
t (C) u V d (C) a (V) [< tuda]

R (C) e V n (C) [< Ren]
z (C) i V n (C) [< zin]

So if I may ask, am I grasping what it is and how it is formed...?

[zaffu]

I think you've got the basic idea. (C)(C)V(C)(C)(V)(C) looks like more than a single syllable, but I think I understand what you mean...a word can start with up to two consonants (scal), have a consonant cluster of up to two consonants in the middle, and end in a vowel or a single consonant.

[Alex]

Is that bad? Having more than one single syllable? I intended on it being the longest a word can get, or rather...well, I'm not sure how to explain xD

And yea, it can start with two consonants (*sc*), must have a vowel (can also be diphthongs *a*), and can have two consonants near the end either before or after the optional vowel.

The reason I made that SS is because I want a SS that is formed around the already premade words:

[zaffu]

Is that bad? Having more than one single syllable?

If you need two syllables to best explain how your language works, go right ahead and use 'em.

[Alex]

So how I did it above is not wrong...?

And I know this is a little offtopic, but for stress in some languages, it puts it on the first or second syllable. My question is, if my word has two syllables in it (Rothai?), I could - for example - place stress on the first/or second syllable of the word? Is that how it works with Syllable structure...? Attachment 38701

[Sular]

Stress patterns vary from language to language so there's not reason you could not. Some languages have fixed stress (I believe Finnish nearly always has initial stress for example) others have stress patterns that are more complex, like Latin, which moves the stress around according to the number of syllables in a word, the length of the vowels, and so on, but does so in a very predictable way. Others, like English, have no fixed stress pattern and stress has to be learned on a case by case, word by word, basis.

[Alex]

Wow, Latin's stress pattern sounds hard

Alright, thanks Sular! This helps with my understanding of the Syllable Structure.

*reps*