User:Учхљёная/Dzongkha phonology

Attention: The following is transcluded and converted from a personal note by Elliott Wheeler, put on this wiki for a quick reference for the phonology of the Dzongkha language.

BTW, if anyone wants to repair the Wikipedia article on Dzongkha after the incident on the 9th, here’re its phonotactics, compiled from George Van Driem’s works.

Edit: Apparently someone already reverted it, so nevermind then.

Phonotactics edit

Syllable structure: (C²)V(F)(ɕ)
Where:

C = any consonant excluding /k̚/
C² = initial consonant cluster
V = any vowel
F = final consonant

Allowed initial clusters edit

/pt͡ɕ-/ ('pc-, bj-)
/pt͡ɕʰ-/ ('pch-, bj˚-)
/nj-/ (ny-)

Allowed finals edit

/-ŋ/ (-ng)
/-n/ (-n)
/-m/ (-m)
/-k/ (-k)
/-k̚/^{[note 1]}
/-p/ (-p)
/-ɕ/ (-sh)
/-l/ (-l)
/-r/ (-r)
/-j/ (-i, -y)
/-w/ (-u, -o)

Phonemic inventory edit

Consonants edit

Dzongkha consonant-phonemes
		Labial	Alveolar	Retroflex	Alveolo- palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal		m (m)	n (n)			ŋ (ng)
Plosive	lenis	p (p, b)	t (t, d)	ʈ (tr, dr)		k (k, g)	k̚^{[note 1]}
Plosive	aspirated	pʰ (ph, b˚)	tʰ (th, d˚)	ʈʰ (thr, dr˚)		kʰ (kh, g˚)
Affricate	lenis		t͡s (ts, dz)		t͡ɕ (c, j)
Affricate	aspirated		t͡sʰ (tsh)		t͡ɕʰ (ch, j˚)
Fricative	voiced		z (z)		ʑ (zh)
Fricative	voiceless		s (s, z˚)		ɕ (sh, zh˚)		h (h)
Lateral	voiced		l (l)
Lateral	voiceless		ɬ (lh)
Approximant		w (w)	r (hr, r)		j (y)

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Note: /k̚/ often elides to merge with or lengthen the preceding vowel, but not always. It isn't necessarily included in the Van Driem transcription.

Vowels edit

Dzongkha vowel-phonemes
		Front		Back
		short	long	short	long
Hiğ	unrou.	i (i)	iː (î)
Hiğ	round.		yː (ü)	u (u)	uː (û)
Mid	unrou.	e (e)	eː (ê)
Mid	round.		øː (ö)	o (o)	oː (ô)
Low	unrou.		ɛː (ä)	ɑ (a)	ɑː (â)

Tones edit

Pitch-accent-style tones are as follows:

/◌˥/ ('-) - /ɬ, h, t͡sʰ/ can only exist in it, true aspiration distinction
/◌˩/ - /z, ʑ/ can only exist in it, unaspirated consonants excluding fricatives & finals become voiced

.

[a-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Note: /k̚/ often elides to merge with or lengthen the preceding vowel, but not always. It isn't necessarily included in the Van Driem transcription.

[note 1]