5.5

[b, d, g] only present as allophones of /m, n, ŋ, r, l/.

/tɬ, ɬ/ present.

[g] occurs as an allophone of /ŋ/in word-initial position.

1) Syllable template is CV(C).

2) All morphemes must end in a vowel.

3) There are no phonemic diphthongs.

4) Permitted syllable codas are /m, n, ŋ, p, k, ʔ, ts, tʄ, s, ʄ, r, l, j, w/.

5) Consonant clusters only occur at syllable boundaries within a word.

6) Clicks may only occur root-initially.

7) Nasals may not follow nasalised clicks.

8) Permitted consonant clusters:

a) /m/ + /m, j, w/

b) /m, n/ + /t, ʔ, tθ, ts, tʄ, tɬ, r, l, ʎ/

c) /n/ + /n/

d) /m, ŋ/ + /p, k, kx, kxʷ, ɡʟ/

e) /ŋ/ + /ŋ/

f) /p, k, ʔ/ + /s, ʄ/

g) /ts, tʄ/ + /p, k, ʔ/

h) /s/ + /kxʷ/

i) /s, ʄ/ + /p, t, k, ʔ, tθ, tɬ, kx/

j) /r/ + /r, j/

k) /r, l/ + /m, n, ɲ, ŋ, ŋʷ, p, t, k, ʔ, ts, tʄ, tθ, kx, kxʷ, w/

l) /l/ + /l/

m) /j, w/ + /m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, ʔ, ts, tθ, tɬ, kx, r, l, ɡʟ/

9) Suffixes are the only morphemes that may begin with a consonant cluster.

10) High vowels may not occur after clicks, lateral alveolars, palatals, labialised velars, liquids or /ʔ/.

11) Front vowels may not follow back vowels within the same word without an intervening central vowel.

12) Back vowels may not follow front vowels within the same word without an intervening central vowel.

13) Roots and particles have two syllables.

14) Suffixes may have one or two syllables.

15) Unnaturalised foreign loan words may have roots with more syllables than normal.

1) Disyllables bear primary stress on the last syllable.

2) Polysyllables bear primary stress on the second syllable if it is heavy otherwise the main stress is on the third syllable.

3) Open syllables are light.

4) Closed syllables are heavy.

Every even syllable from left of primary stress bears secondary stress.

This is the closest WALS category applicable to Telkese. The language lacks pharyngeal or epiglottal consonants.

No prefixes.

The genders (referred to as noun classes in Telkese) are:

I) Rational Feminine
II) Rational Masculine
III) Non-Rational Animate
IV) Non-Rational Inanimate

All Class I& II nouns and some Class III nouns belong to the Warm subgender. Remaining Class III & all IV nouns belong to the Cold subgender. The criterion for inclusion in either Warm or Cold is warm-bloodedness. Cold nouns trigger initial consonant mutation in associated verbs, participles, demonstratives and possessed nouns. Initial mutations are shown below:

/m/  > [v]
/n/ > [d]
/ŋg/ > [ʒ]
/p/ > [m]
/t/ > [n]
/k/ > [ŋg]
/ts/ > [s]
/tɬ/ > [ɬ]
/tʃ/ > [ʃ]
/kx/ > [h]

A given noun is either inherently singular or inherently collective. The inverse number suffix, -lki, indicates that the noun has other than its inherent number: plural for singular, singulative for collective. This counts as a plural suffix for WALS purposes.

Pronominal system is as follows:

1 sg: nini
2 sg: kini
1 du excl: huku
1 du incl: muku
2 du: zuku
1 pl excl: hata
1 pl incl: mata
2 pl: zata

The definite suffix is: -xr. There are also distance-neutral definite demonstratives:

Class I sg: lrxr
Class II sg: saxr
Class III sg: prxr
Class IV sg: vaxr
Du: krxr
Pl: trxr

Proximal, medial, distal. These are as follows:

Class I prox sg: likve
Class II prox sg: sekve
Class III prox sg: pikve
Class IV: prox sg: vekve
Prox du: kikve
Prox pl: tikve

Class I med sg: luyo
Class II med sg: soyo
Class III med sg: puyo
Class IV med sg: voyo
Med du: kuyo
Med pl: tuyo

Class I dist sg: lapa
Class II dist sg: sapa
Class III dist sg: papa
Class IV dist sg: vapa
Dist du: kapa
Dist pl: tapa

In the dual and plural the distinction is between the Warm and Cold subgenders.

Definite demonstratives used as the polite forms.

Telkese is a pro-drop language so independent pronouns and pronominal demonstratives act as intensive pronouns.

Ten cases.

Absolutive: zero suffix
Ergative: -kso
Dative: -mve
Genitive: -zka
Comitative: -ykhr
Essive: -vlu
Locative: -tzi
Allative: -spa
Ablative: -ltu
Prolative: -tse

By a demonstrative suffix or the definite article.

Three demonstrative suffixes.

Proximal: -kve
Medial: -yo
Distal: -pa

There are 12 basic colour categories in Thulean: black, white, red, green, yellow, blue, grey, brown, orange, purple, pink and azure.

Roman alphabet is employed. "B, D, J, W" are not used. Letter assignment is as follows:



A = /a/
C = /θ/
CN = /ŋ|/
CQ = /|/
E = /ɛ/
F = /xʷ/
G = /ŋ/
GL = /ɡʟ/
GV = /ŋʷ/
H = /x/
I = /i/
IU = /ə/
K = /k/
KF = /kxʷ/
KH = /kx/
KV = /kʷ/
L = /l/
LY =/ʎ/
M = /m/
N = /n/
NY = /ɲ/
O = /ɔ/
P = /p/
Q = /ʔ/
R = /r/
S = /ʃ/
T = /t/
TC = /tθ/
TN = /ŋ!/
TQ = /!/
TS = /tʃ/
TX = /tɬ/
TZ = /ts/
U = /u/
V = /w/
X = /ɬ/
XN = /ŋ||/
XQ = /||/
Y = /j/
Z = /s/