Fase
From KneeQuickie
Contents |
Sound changes
Consonants
The infinitive endings disappear: manger /mA~Je/ > mach /mAS/ ('to eat'); finir /fin_diR/ > fin /fin_d/ ('to finish'); écrire /ekRiR/ > eci /eki/ ('to write') (this last change occurs elsewhere, too: quatre /kAt_dR@/ > cat /kAt_d/ ('four')). /-d_d, -l_d@/ also disappear: rapide /RApid_d/ > yapi /jApi/ ('quick'); table /t_dAbl_d@/ > tab /t_dAb/ ('table').
Voiced consonants devoice syllable-finally: douze /d_duz_d/ > dus /d_dus_d/ ('twelve'); nanger /mA~Ze/ > mach /mAS/ ('to eat').
/v/ changes to /w/ in all positions: laver /l_dAve/ > law /l_daw/ ('to wash'); voiture /vwAt_dyR/ > oitu /wAt_dy/ ('car').
/l_d/ and /R/ after consonants disappear: blanc /bl_dA~k/ > bach /bAS/ ('white') (1); brosser /bROs_de/ > bos /bos_d/ ('to brush'). Syllable-initial /R/ changes to /j/ or disappears: rapide /rApid/ > yapi /jApi/ ('quick'); roi /RwA/ > oi /wA/ ('king'). Syllable-final /R/ disappears: noir /n_dwAR/ > noi /n_dwA/ ('black'); terre /t_dER/ > te /t_de/ ('earth').
/Z/ changes to /G/ in all positions except syllable-finally: gentil /ZA~t_di/ > jati /GAt_di/ ('nice'); généreux /Zen_deR2/ > jenye /Genje/ ('generous').
/J/ changes to /n_d/ (via /n_dj/) in all positions: oignon /wAJO~/ > oina /wAn_dA/ ('onion'); montagne /mO~t_dAJ/ > matan /mAt_dAn_d/ ('mountain').
(1) /bAk/ already had the meaning of 'bank'; to eliminate this homonymic pair, the former feminine form, blanche /bl_dA~S/, was adopted instead.
Vowels
/2/ merged with /e/: feu /f2/ > fe /fe/ ('fire'); neuf /n2f/ > nef /nef/ ('nine').
/O~/ merged with /A~/, which then lost its nasality; ditto for /E~/: bon /bO~/ > ba /bA/ ('good'); lent /l_dA~/ > la /l_dA/ ('slow'); pain /pE~/ > pe /pe/ ('bread').
Phonology
Consonants
| Letter | Description |
|---|---|
| p | voiceless bilabial stop |
| b | voiced bilabial stop |
| m | voiced bilabial nasal |
| f | voiceless labiodental fricative |
| t | voiceless dental stop |
| d | voiced dental stop |
| n | voiced dental nasal |
| s | voiceless dental fricative |
| l | voiced dental lateral approximant |
| ch | voiceless postalveolar fricative |
| y | voiced palatal glide |
| c | voiceless velar stop |
| g | voiced velar stop |
| j | voiced velar fricative |
| w | voiced labiovelar glide |
Consonant allophony
Vowels
| Letter | Description |
|---|---|
| i | close front unrounded monophthong |
| u | close front rounded monophthong |
| e | close-mid front unrounded monophthong |
| ou | close back rounded monophthong |
| o | close-mid back rounded monophthong |
| a | open back unrounded monophthong |
Vowel allophony
Vowels are lax in close syllables, and somewhat longer in ones ended by a voiced consonant.
Morphology
Nominal morphology
Definiteness and number
Fase has four articles, which are mandatory unless another modifier (e.g. numeral) is present; the articles not only convey definiteness but also plurality. They are also used as demonstratives.
| Type | Before a consonant | Example | Before a vowel | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular indefinite | e- | emesa 'a house' | en- | enaya 'an airplane' |
| Plural indefinite | d- | dmesa 'some houses' | d- | daya 'some airplanes' |
| Singular definite | l- | lmesa 'the house' | l- | laya 'the airplane' |
| Plural definite | le- | lemesa 'the houses' | len- | lenaya 'the airplanes' |
Possession
| Person | Prefix (singular noun) | Prefix (plural noun) |
|---|---|---|
| First person singular | ma- | me- |
| First person plural | not- | no- |
| Second person singular | ta- | te- |
| Second person plural | tatou- | tetou- |
| Third person singular | sa- | se- |
| Third person plural | la- | le- |
| Fourth person | otla- | otle- |
Verbal morphology
Person
| Person | Prefix (nominative) | Prefix (accusative) |
|---|---|---|
| First person singular | j- | moi- |
| First person plural exclusive | nou- | no- |
| First person plural inclusive | ntou- | ntoi- |
| Second person singular/plural | t- | toi- |
| Second person plural | tou- | tou- |
| Third person singular | l- | oil- |
| Third person plural | ltou- | ltou- |
| Fourth person | otl- | otla- (< *otloi-) |
Example
| Jmach. | 'I eat.' |
| Noumach. | 'We (exclusive) eat.' |
| Ntoumach. | 'We (inclusive) eat.' |
| Tmach. | 'You eat.' |
| Toumach. | 'You guys eat.' |
| Lmach. | 'He/she eats.' |
| Ltoumach. | 'They eat.' |
| Lmoimach. | 'He eats me.' |
| Lnomach. | 'He eats us (exclusive).' |
| Lntoimach. | 'He eats us (inclusive).' |
| Ltoimach. | 'He eats you.' |
| Ltoumach. | 'He eats you guys.' |
| Lotlamach. | 'He eats him/them (unknown/distant).' |
Numbers
en=1 de=2 toi=3 cat=4 sec=5 sis=6 set=7 uit=8 nef=9 dis=10 os=11 dus=12 tes=13 ctos=14 ces=15 dsis=16 dset=17 dsuit=18 dsnef=19 ve=20 venen=21 tat=30 catat=40 secat=50 sissat=60 sissatdis=70 catve=80 catvedis=90 set=100 mil=1000
Vocabulary
a=to aco=again, yet, still afe=at last, finally ane=year ape=after assem=together at=between awa=before awec=with awil=April awjou=yesterday biscui=cookie bocou=a lot, often, very buyo=desk bye=well byeto=soon ca?=when? calctis=calculator caye=notebook cayo=pencil ce=chalk chac=each ches=chair cobe=wastepaper basket, garbage can col=glue combye=how much, how many da=in de=of dessam=December dichon=dictionary dmach=Sunday dme=tomorrow ecan=screen fe=brother fei=leaf feipapye=(sheet of) paper fenet=window feye=February gom=eraser isi=here jaye=January jedi=Thursday jme=never jou=day joudi=today joune=day jue=June la=there le=milk ledi=Monday lif=book lo=water lumye=light madi=Tuesday magse=store, shop mas=March me=mother mè=but mecti=Wednesday midi=noon minui=midnight mu=wall mwe=month nowam=November octom=October odnat=computer optal=hospital pafo=ceiling pasc=because (of) pe=father pè=bread po=for pot=door ptet=perhaps pti=small, (a) little pu=more sa=without sac=bag sacdo=backpack sandi=Saturday se=sister sec=May set=July setem=September si=if siso=scissors sme=week snima=cinema, movie theatre sou=under stilo=pen su=on tab=table tabo=blackboard tam=hour, time te=size tecayo=pencil sharpener to=too, too much, too many tombon=paper clip toujou=always toulma=everyone u=or ù?=where? wadi=Friday ye=nothing yec=ruler
