Tamarin



Alphabet
·          The script is vertically and written from top to bottom, left to right

·          The writing system is alphabetic

·          Each sound is represented by a different letter

·          Palatalisation of consonants is indicated on the following vowel

·          Letters are grouped in syllables rather than words

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">When the onset or coda is not occupied by a consonant a place holder symbol is used to preserve the CVT maximal structure of a syllable

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">Different letter forms exist to signal whether a particular syllable is word initial or simply the next syllable within a previous word

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">The Romanisation of the script mostly reflects the closest sounds in English

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">Palatalisation is indicated on the following vowel (in this case by a breve  ̆ ) as a reflection of the native orthography

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">The breve is also used on the special characters š and ň to indicate their place of articulation is closer to palatal than their base counterparts are. <p class="MsoNormal">

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Phonotactics
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">C = b, b <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">j <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">, p, p <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">j <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">, d, ʤ, t, ʧ, g, g <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">j <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">, k, k <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">j <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">, m, n, s, ʃ, h, ç, r, j

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">V <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">L <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;"> = ɪ, ɛ, ə, ɔ, ʊ

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">V <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">T <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;"> = i, e, a, o, u

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">T = m, n, ŋ, t, s, ʃ, l, r

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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">Syllables = (C) V <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">L <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;"> T  or  (C) V <sup style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">T  <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;">#

<p class="MsoNormal"> ·          <span style="text-indent:-18pt;font-family:Cambria,serif;">No consonant clusters in the onset or coda

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:18.0pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">All consonants permitted in the onset except l and ŋ

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:18.0pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ">·          <span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ">The coda is exclusive to nasal and alveolar sounds with the exception of /d/ due to devoicing of final stops (palat -> paladin)

·          <span style="text-indent:-18pt;font-family:Cambria,serif;">Potentially the current palatalized vowels are the result of assimilation from a former syllable structure that allowed a palatal approximant to share the onset with certain consonants.