Nuktaq

Setting
Nutavik is the language of the Nutavik dwarves who number just over 1000 and live in the mountains of Mazarkhut. Nutavik is a language isolate, unrelated to any other language. Nutavik is a head-initial language that is strongly isolating. Word order is SVO.

Phonology
Nutavik has a large consonant inventory consisting of 40 consonants, but only has three phonemic vowels. The language contrasts plain and pharyngealized consonants at the labial, alveolar, retroflex and velar points of articulation, and also has pharyngeal and glottal consonants. Nutavik has a basic three vowel system consisting of the vowels /i/, /a/ and /u/. When adjacent to a pharyngeal or pharyngealized consonant, /i/ and /u/ become allophonically lowered to [e] and [o] respectively, and this change is indicated in the orthography. Other than this there is very little allophony in either the vowel or consonant system. The plosive consonants are usually unaspirated but may become aspirated at the beginning of a word or at the beginning of a non-initial stressed syllable. /d/ and /dˤ/ may become taps ([ɾ] and [ɾˤ]) intervocalically. Nutavik has no phonemic vowel length, stress or tone, and there are no diphthongs.

Consonants
The 40 consonants of Nutavik are listed below in the standard orthography, with IPA notation in brackets:

Vowels
Nutavik has the following three vowels: Note that /i u/ have allophones [e o] respectively when adjacent to a pharyngeal or pharyngealized consonant.

Phonotactics
Nutavik words are subject to a number of strict phonotactic constraints. Words do not begin in a vowel or in a pharyngeal or pharyngealized consonant, and words do not end in a glottal consonant. Consonant clusters can occur word-initially and word medially but not word-finally, although word-initial consonant clusters are uncommon. Consonant clusters do not exceed two segments in length except when occurring across morpheme boundaries, in which case they can be three segments in length. Vowel clusters are not permitted. Root words do not exceed three syllables in length. The structure of monosyllabic roots is C(C)V(C). The structure of disyllabic roots is C(C)VC(C)V(C), and the structure of trisyllabic roots is C(C)VC(C)VC(C)V(C). Only consonant clusters of type 'fricative + approximant' can occur word-initially. A large variety of consonant clusters can occur word-medially.

Stress
Stress is very weak. Stress is predictable, always falling on the penultimate syllable of a word.

Orthography
Nutavik is written using the Latin alphabet. The alphabet is completely transparent and so is easy to learn. The spelling of each consonant phoneme is shown in the table of consonants in the phonology section (see above). The alphabet has five vowels, pronounced as /a e i o u/ respectively.