Pkalho-Kolo 2

On Pkalho-Kolo 2 : Phonology/Phonotactics, a sample text, and a brief English to Pkalho-Kölo Word-List. (Back to Grammar on Pkalho-Kolo ) (A longer text on Pkalho-Kölo/A. )

I. A. Consonants
Pkalho-Kölo has 24 consonants, in the following order: p - m - ph - pk - v - fh - pkw - pw - pr - rl - t - lh - th - c - l - cw - y - fw - kw - w - hw - k - n - h. Unfortunately they look a mess on a table, and also need explanation:

pk is a sound peculiar to the city of Pkalho, double-articulated, a simultaneous implosive p and plosive k. Form the lips to pronounce a p and the back of the tongue to pronounce a k. The lips open with a pop, and at the same moment the k is released. pkw is the labialised version. fh is the corresponding fricative, which could be written /fç/

lh is an interdental lateral, close in sound to /ð/ Compared to "l" it sounds "dark" i.e. velarised.

cw is not simply labialised c. In pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue should press against the back of the bottom teeth while the the top of the tongue touches the hard palate. fw is the corresponding fricative: it could be written /çw/ but the tongue should be in the same position as for cw. Why do I write "fw"? I was trying to avoid diacritical marks, I didn’t like sw, chw or xw, and I couldn't think of anything else except fw

n is /n/ between vowels and before t, c, y and n. Before or after any other consonant it is /ŋ/

hw is the voiceless fricative w that we used to have in English in words like “hwæt"

Missing from the chart, which is already too big:

v is self-explanatory

rl at the beginning of a word, at the end of a syllable or after a consonant is /ɭ / the post-alveolar lateral of Dravidian and Australian Aboriginal languages. Between vowels it is /r/ an alveolar flap; I write "r" at the end of a syllable for brevity. Rl- retains its word-initial sound even if a prefix or aspectual extension is added.

pr could be written /pɭ / Native speakers regard it, like pk, as a single sound. The tongue should press against the back of the alveolar ridge, and release as the lips open.

I. B. Vowels
ä is the low rounded back vowel in British English “swan”. ë is a mid-central vowel, similar to the vowel in British English "her" but with the tongue drawn further back.

There are twelve diphthongs, six “like” (rounded + rounded, unrounded + unrounded) and six “unlike” (one rounded, one unrounded.)

II. Phonotactics
1. All root words end in a vowel

2. Syllables can end only in a vowel or the consonants m, n, rl, lh, or l.

3. A syllable can contain a diphthong or a final consonant, but not both. The exception is when a one-syllable word containing a diphthong takes the relative suffix in its reduced form -n, or the -n of n-conjunctives.

4. Words do not begin with a diphthong, though three words, au, ea and ui consist of a diphthong.

5. Words beginning with a vowel have glottal onset. Elision occurs only when the neutral demonstratives e and o follow the suffixes -la, -rë or -pë. Thus iturë en, (someone) said the following, becomes itur'en.

(Also, the word erä, person, human being, loses its first vowel in compound words: velya (to play music) - velyarä (musician), kaulo (garden) - kaulorä (gardener). The word for ten, thilä, also loses its last vowel before ea, one: thil'ea, eleven; heru thil'ea, forty-one.)

6. When a word beginning with a vowel takes a directional prefix, or is extended by aspectual stem-modification, an epenthetic r is inserted. Thus olkwela (it resembles) - pkärolkwela (they resemble each other); ilurë (a light shone) - yërilurë (a light flashed for a moment). Word-initial rl keeps its pronunciation /ɭ / even after a prefix, as noted above.

Minor points: after m, the consonants k and kw are realised as pk and pkw. The sequences m+kw and m+pkw I always write mkw, regardless of the original script. After m, r and l the consonant hw becomes the labialised form of the bilabial fricative, /ɸʷ/, an allophone that occurs only in this context. The sequence l+hw I write lphw, to distinguish it from the sequence lh+w. The double consonants mm, nn, rll and ll occur frequently: doubled lh ought also to occur, but it seems to have been replaced by the rather rare sequence lh+th, which I write lth.

III. Intonation.
Unlike English, Pkalho-Kölo does not have word-stress: each syllable is pronounced with equal weight, allowing for natural variation. It does however have pitch accent: accented syllables are pronounced at a higher pitch. Three rules roughly cover this:

I. Directional prefixes have an accent which they never lose.

II. One-syllable root words do not normally have an accent.

III. Two and three-syllable root words have an accent on the first syllable, which they lose when immediately preceded by a directional prefix.

Actually it’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s enough to be going on with.

IV. Sample Text
A brief sample text, in Latin letters (Pkalho-Kölo has its own writing system, alphabetic and written from top to bottom and right to left, though a few of the literate prefer left to right.) This is the beginning of a translation of the Grimm Brothers story called "The Seven Ravens":

'''Täthumä atäla lemäi tonun lamo niköli akäto teina eali. Cimekoäkuto cwëllen e wöhela icwiyi löipë nörövafhanela eto iturë ölvu thena-mäyupiela yuli.'''

There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one daughter. although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and small that they thought she could not live but they said she should at once be christened.

'''Oto cwinli pintörë eali lamovon atähi kwellapkwe poucahwali ewan, eyi valarikurë lumphë nälmen. Epkëväiloto nöweiwë poucamöli, e hëfworë nilneripë fhampon nömäihi kovo nälhmulemä. Waweto äpkäkwearë lhaun kanlöla vayi haulato emäin thopala muriphili.'''

So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get some water, but the other six ran with him. Each wanted to be the first at drawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that they all let their pitchers fall into the well, and they stood foolishly looking at one another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home.

'''Vakuito hauvela atäwë yoähauyi ephiun alwä-nänala lupka-prëmon. Mëula, itur’on, thounölela nikö nömäin rlui yakerëvo; mipko nouma lankwäherëto haunöla murirën lhaun, phouvö värurë, vihwëp’en, fwapehwa fhalhkotopë lhau nömäin.'''

In the mean time the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made the young men stay so long. “Surely,” said he, “the whole seven must have forgotten themselves over some game of play.” And when he had waited still longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wished them all turned into ravens.

'''Ituhöiherëto oraun, nila luncarë kälhkarën nökwärë keipë kaprokalerën fhora-cëlhmu fhalhvo nikön. Yohwekuto e vihwën keila kounarën, hunyëla epwean thonukwä nirë-tekan, ela houri rlöhwala lhöyepkwe lamo nikön cwälu teinavo, ilva voprälel’on vali-prëlli nilkwe-kwörorëyi.'''

Scarcely had he spoken these words when he heard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravens as black as coal flying round and round. Sorry as he was to see his wish so fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone, and he comforted himself as well as he could with his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and every day more beautiful.

A longer text now on Pkalho-Kölo/A

I'm going to try to upload a couple of scans of Pkalho-Kölo in its own writing system. These were written a few years ago and the language has changed slightly since then, but they still give an idea of what the script looks like.

Q. R.
to quarrel	     hamkwä question; to ask     cwiu quick, fast	     hikö a quilt		     pampho quiet, peaceful	     lalkwä radiant		     kwömlu rain		     vui rainbow	             pkwelpo rare		     phëha raspberry	     kumpre to read		     wëla receive/give	     kwea recent; fresh	     pkwewe recently	     elna recover, get better  pkwanu (bright) red	     kerhwö (dark) red	     kafhu to refuse	     hanco to relax	     luome release, let go	     hoce reliable	     tulme reluctant	     rlëmpu remain, continue     näna remember	     mathö

remnant; left over   lumphë repair, mend	     prina to repeat	     kwiepo replace, substitute  luitë request		     kwalwe rescue, save	     laukwe resemble	     olkwe reservoir	     cemwä rest, settle	     wëma retreat, turn back   thämkwe to reveal	     kwäice to reward	     pkume ribbon		     lävi rice		     yepë rich, wealthy	     pkwoma right (side)	     mita rigid, stiff	     fhëlka the rim		     töre ring, circle	     kamyo to rip, tear	     këfhe ripe		     melpë to risk		     veca river		     linwe road, path	     cwavo to roll up	     piumo roof		     vimä a room		     pwahe robe, dress	     prayu rope		     hiwa a row; to line up    cwema rowdy		     pruivu ruby		     fhiru rude, impolite	     hëva rule, law	     alhu rumour, gossip	     thähe run, hurry	     lari run away from	     pkarpi rust		     ofha

S.
(to be) safe	     talme a sail		     kelca salmon		     kwimu salt		     cithä save, rescue	     laukwe a saw		     hëcwa to say		     itu a scarf		     phelkwa school		     pherma scold, tell off	     nafhi to scrape	     cwäke a screen	     käina scissors	     cimkwä the sea		     kuphi seahorse	     pkapri seashell	     cälo a secret	     fwöli see; be visible	     kei sell/buy	     proä serene, calm	     heilu serious		     kietä to serve	     wipha set out (journey)    paurë settle, rest on	     wëma seven		     nikö sever, cut	     ciko to sew		     pwilte shadow		     thäpho shallow		     nihä shape		     häpa to share with	     kweyu sharp (not blunt)    pecwi to shave	     thöpke sheet, page	     phacë shelf		     entë to shelter	     malvu shirt		     cimpu to shine; light	     ilu shiny, bright	     luili a ship		     vakwo shoes		     pëwi shore, bank	     velta to shout	     yauko shut, close	     pkire shy		     kouhwe sick; illness	     yälme

the side	     kwatho a sieve		     theicä silence		     lillä silk		     cimhö simple		     tehu sing (birds)	     pöllu sing (people)	     cännu to sink into	     tumpwä to sip		     prölpe (older) sister	     venya (younger) sister     vini to sit		     nallu six		     nalme skilful		     pehwa the sky		     weho to sleep; asleep     möi to slice	     fwice slim		     hwilta slow		     munwa small		     icwi smash, shatter	     pkalcë smell, odour	     iphe to smile	     milmë smoke		     rluhe smooth (to touch)    cilvo snow		     cäfwi soap		     cäme to soar		     fholu sofa, couch	     tancu soft (not hard)	     mefwi soft (not loud)	     huhwa son		     lamo soon, shortly	     ilva soot		     tëlhu to sort out	     hwäiri a sound; to hear     licwe soup		     louma sour		     cufwo south		     rlomö a spade		     thärpu a spark		     töfhi to sparkle	     cinle to speak	     kwila (magic) spell	     rluilö spider		     thuikwi to spill	     pwamë spin round; whirl    fwëri

the spine	     kwinvä a spoon		     tolku spot, dot	     töi spring (season)	     kwanyö to squeeze	     cëmwi to stab		     kalpki to stand; standing   tulle a star		     cwilë stare at	     pwalo starfish	     cumya start, begin	     keri a statue	     tölkwa steal (things)	     rlëpka steam		     mapho steep (slope)	     tiekwe step, stair	     lenta still, calm	     tulwa to sting	     vëcwi stir (a pot etc.)    tipu stone, pebble	     pelto a stool		     tävi stop, cease	     kwento storehouse	     rleiwa storm		     wolvö a story		     vëllu a stove		     karho straight, direct     tëlvi strawberry	     kölla a stream	     pkwiri a street	     cähe stretch, draw out    vieri strike, hit	     tepku striped		     pkwiphe stubborn	     kwäncu substitute, replace  luitë sudden		     hölki sugar		     pkane summary		     phäiyo summer		     torllu summit, peak	     tipkwi surprised	     pwahwe the sun		     elko sure, certain	     unne to swallow	     pkolkwe a swan		     pkweno to sweat	     fhömi sweet (taste)	     likwe swim (fish)	     wëlphe swim (people)	     kelphu sympathy	     rlahwä

T.
table		     tälli take (medicine)	     pkolkwe take care of	     kwällo take out; emerge     luce tall; high	     käho to tap, rap	     pakë task, errand	     petä a tax		     themca tea		     phikwa teach/learn	     phea to tear, rip	     këfhe tears; to cry	     yölli to tease	     pkwäri tedious		     numwa tell, inform	     cei tell (what to do)    tawe a telescope	     kwëlwu ten		     thilä a tent		     warho terrible, dreadful   rloku thick (book etc.)    ummë thin (not thick)     hwöpe think (about)	     phëlu think (opinion)	     löi thirsty		     hafwe thorough	     lietä a thousand	     mauko a thread	     hiphë three		     pali throat		     fhopa to throw	     tauhwe thumb		     mulpo thunder		     lhurko to tidy up	     prelko tie, fasten	     puce tie up, bind	     lelhko tiger		     läcwa tight, close	     cwipë timid		     kwähwe

to tingle	     kwönle tip, end	     tëu tip over	     prëpa tired		     yëpha today		     ecwa a toe		     pköi tomato		     yampho tomorrow	     lincwa the tongue	     vilpa too much 	     priu a tortoise	     cerpa touch, feel	     fwiu a toy		     wapri a tower		     tolva trace, mark	     inyo transparent	     cahi travel		     cwallo a tray		     täpha to tremble	     pkwemwë trench, ditch	     thorllu trip, stumble	     pkintë trivial		     cëwa trousers	     kulte true, correct	     prea to try out	     veho a tulip		     mulvä a tunnel	     pköllo turn around	     ulya (take) turns	     pkolte a turtle	     pholkwa twilight	     prepho two		     lëmo tyranny		     rlulkwe

U.V.
ugly		     lhuca (maternal) uncle     tovo (paternal) uncle     cëvi undergo, endure	     lhälu unnecessary	     nauthu unripe		     mipwä (turn) upside-down   pkulpri usual, ordinary	     mora to use		     cëu to use up	     uhe useless, futile	     phulë valley		     lunyä vanish		     walhu various, diverse     lëmpa vase, urn	     thoä a veil		     ceihu to vibrate	     kinme view, vista	     wimyu violet (flower)	     hwilwe visit		     kurwe voice		     yalhe

W. Y.
to wade		     taupko wages		     taphi waist		     kwöpa wait for	     lankwä to walk		     tilta a wall		     pahä walnut		     mikwö want; like	     phöi warm		     ämrlo to warn		     vauro wary, cautious	     nöho wash (clothes)	     ciwe waste, squander	     vanö watch over, guard    pkulma water		     ewa waterfall	     wiukwe water-tank	     cemwä (sea) wave	     pule wax		     himya weak, feeble	     wöhe wealthy		     pkwoma weary		     yëpha to weave	     thape a well		     kovo west		     tarvo wet, moist	     ömle a wharf		     touvi wheat		     cwëlwa wheel		     coru whirl; spin round    fwëri to whisper	     hwuhe to whistle	     fwikö white		     hino whole, intact	     mulle

wide, broad	     pkoula wildflowers	     wephö willow-tree	     ipwa to win		     möhi the wind	     hwiri a window	     këlyu wing		     pkëlvi wine		     rluco winter		     fhina to wipe		     lëfhi wire		     virvo woman		     läkwe wonder about	     phoure wood, forest	     wiprä wood, timber	     leprä wool		     lhärllu a word		     itu to work, toil	     fharu workshop	     timkwä the world	     anta to worry	     fhöce wound, cut	     vicu wrap up		     tompru wreath		     kammuli to wrestle	     rlipwo wrist		     tölve to write	     pelu (house) yard	     tauna yellow		     pilpe yesterday	     mucwa young		     lenya young man	     lupka young woman	     nulpe