Pronunciation: Difference between revisions
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=== Vowels === |
=== Vowels === |
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| a || [[wikipedia:Open back unrounded vowel|ɑ]] || m'''a'''h (ok) || a as in father |
| a || [[wikipedia:Open back unrounded vowel|ɑ]] || m'''a'''h (ok) || a as in father |
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| e || [[wikipedia:Open-mid front unrounded vowel|ɛ]] || kunk'''e'''b (nose) || e as in pet |
| e || [[wikipedia:Open-mid front unrounded vowel|ɛ]] || kunk'''e'''b (nose) || e as in pet |
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| i || [[wikipedia:Close front unrounded vowel|i]] || b'''i'''n'''i'''nj (man) || |
| i || [[wikipedia:Close front unrounded vowel|i]] || b'''i'''n'''i'''nj (man) || ee as in beet (but with the tongue body pushed up) |
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| o || [[wikipedia:Open back rounded vowel|ɒ]] || kunw'''o'''k (language) || o as in not (UK, Australian) or thought (US) |
| o || [[wikipedia:Open back rounded vowel|ɒ]] || kunw'''o'''k (language) || o as in not (UK, Australian) or thought (US) |
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This can happen before ng or k, e.g. bebm'''e'''ng [bɛbmæŋ] (arrived), ngarrb'''e'''k [ŋɑrbæk] (echidna). |
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=== Consonants === |
=== Consonants === |
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=== Diphthongs === |
=== Diphthongs === |
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| aw || aw || y'''aw'''ky'''aw'''k (girl) || ou as in ouch |
| aw || aw || y'''aw'''ky'''aw'''k (girl) || ou as in ouch |
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| ey || ɛj || kunng'''ey''' (name) || a as in name |
| ey || ɛj || kunng'''ey''' (name) || a as in name (in Australian English) |
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| ew || ɛw || kudj'''ew'''k (wet season) || like el in elk but with rounded lips instead of the l |
| ew || ɛw || kudj'''ew'''k (wet season) || like el in elk but with rounded lips instead of the l |
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| oy || ɔj || d'''oy'''d'''oy''' (kin term) || pronounced like 'oy!' |
| oy || ɔj || d'''oy'''d'''oy''' (kin term) || pronounced like 'oy!' |
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| ow || ow || r'''ow'''k (all) || ow as in row |
| ow || ow || r'''ow'''k (all) || ow as in row (for rowing a boat) |
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| uy || uj || manng'''uy''' (flower) || pronounced like ooo-iii, but quickly |
| uy || uj || manng'''uy''' (flower) || pronounced like ooo-iii, but quickly |
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=== Syllables === |
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When pronouncing words, it is helpful to break them down into syllables. |
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This is a three step process: |
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* sometimes it helps to break words down into syllables before trying to pronounce them, e.g. kun.ngey (name), be.rluh (aunty), kun.de.nge (foot), mo.djarrk.ki (freshwater crocodile) |
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# underline each vowel |
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# for each vowel, point (with a pen tip) just before the vowel, count one consonant to the left and move the pointer |
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# the syllable boundary is here ''unless putting it here would break up a digraph'' (dj, rd, rl, ng, nj, rn, rr), in which case, go one more consonant to the left |
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Examples: |
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* k<u>u</u>n.d<u>u</u>lk (name) |
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* k<u>u</u>n.ng<u>e</u>y (name) |
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* b<u>e</u>.rl<u>u</u>h (aunty) |
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* ng<u>u</u>d.d<u>a</u> (you) |
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* k<u>u</u>n.d<u>e</u>.ng<u>e</u> (foot) |
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* m<u>o</u>.dj<u>a</u>rrk.k<u>i</u> (freshwater crocodile) |
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* k<u>u</u>n.b<u>a</u>.rl<u>a</u>.nj<u>a</u> (Kunbarlanja = Gunbalanya) |
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* m<u>a</u>.m<u>a</u>.rd<u>a</u>.w<u>e</u>.rr<u>e</u> (Mamardawerre) |
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Some syllables look familiar to English speakers, but you need to be careful not to pronounce them as in English: |
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* ''yaw'' (English: movement of a boat) but in Kunwok it rhymes with the vowel in "ouch!", e.g. ''wurdyaw'' (child) |
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* ''bang'' (English: loud noise) but in Kunwok it sounds like how we pronounce "bung" (broken), e.g. ''bangkerreng'' (knock 'em down storm season) |
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* ''kang'' (English, start of kangaroo) but in Kunwok it might not even be a single syllable e.g. ''ka.ngi.men'' (it went inside) |
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Finally, pronounce each syllable in succession. |
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=== Notes === |
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Latest revision as of 05:08, 25 April 2022
In the following tables, the second column uses the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA); click on the IPA letters for more information.
Vowels
Kunwok | IPA | Example | Comments |
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a | ɑ | mah (ok) | a as in father |
e | ɛ | kunkeb (nose) | e as in pet |
i | i | bininj (man) | ee as in beet (but with the tongue body pushed up) |
o | ɒ | kunwok (language) | o as in not (UK, Australian) or thought (US) |
u | u | kundulk (tree) | u as in boot (US, UK), u as in book (Australian) |
Sometimes, you may hear e pronounced æ as in cat. This can happen before ng or k, e.g. bebmeng [bɛbmæŋ] (arrived), ngarrbek [ŋɑrbæk] (echidna).
Consonants
Kunwok | IPA | Example | Comments |
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b | b | bobo (bye) | b as in baby |
d | d | daluk (woman) | d as in dog |
dj | ɟ | djedje (woman's child) | j as in jam (but with tongue body against hard palate) |
rd | ɖ | wurdurd (child) | like d but with tongue tip curled back |
h | ʔ | yoh (yes) | glottal stop, like tt in bottle in some English dialects |
k | k | daluk (woman) | k but with no aspiration (at end of syllable) |
k | g | kured (camp) | g as in game (at start of syllable) |
l | l | delek (white clay) | l as in long |
rl | ɭ | berluh (aunty) | like l but with tongue tip curled back |
m | m | manme (food) | m as in man |
n | n | nayin (snake) | n as in nose |
ng | ŋ | ngalyod (rainbow serpent) | ng as in sing |
nj | ɲ | njale (what) | gn as in gnocchi |
rn | ɳ | birriwern (everyone) | like n but with tongue tip curled back |
r | ɻ | kured (camp) | r as in red (but with tongue tip curled back further) |
rr | ɾ or r | djarrang (horse) | t as in water (said like a fast d) or else rolled r as in Scottish English |
w | w | wakwak (crow) | w as in wet |
y | j | yoh (yes) | y as in yes |
Notes:
- consonants are not aspirated like they are sometimes in English (no puff of air after k)
- some words have doubled consonants like ngabba (father); take care to lengthen these, e.g. ngap.pa
- rd is usually written d when we can predict an rd is required, e.g. rdird~dird (moon), kuwardrde~kuwardde (stone country)
- d is pronounced rr when it appears between two vowels and when the following syllable is not stressed, e.g. Yirrurndi (you went back) vs. birridurndi (they went back)
Diphthongs
Kunwok | IPA | Example | Comments |
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ay | aj | malaywi (morning) | pronounced like aye in Scottish English |
aw | aw | yawkyawk (girl) | ou as in ouch |
ey | ɛj | kunngey (name) | a as in name (in Australian English) |
ew | ɛw | kudjewk (wet season) | like el in elk but with rounded lips instead of the l |
iw | iw | kundiw (liver) | pronounced like iii-ooo, but quickly |
oy | ɔj | doydoy (kin term) | pronounced like 'oy!' |
ow | ow | rowk (all) | ow as in row (for rowing a boat) |
uy | uj | mannguy (flower) | pronounced like ooo-iii, but quickly |
Syllables
When pronouncing words, it is helpful to break them down into syllables. This is a three step process:
- underline each vowel
- for each vowel, point (with a pen tip) just before the vowel, count one consonant to the left and move the pointer
- the syllable boundary is here unless putting it here would break up a digraph (dj, rd, rl, ng, nj, rn, rr), in which case, go one more consonant to the left
Examples:
- kun.dulk (name)
- kun.ngey (name)
- be.rluh (aunty)
- ngud.da (you)
- kun.de.nge (foot)
- mo.djarrk.ki (freshwater crocodile)
- kun.ba.rla.nja (Kunbarlanja = Gunbalanya)
- ma.ma.rda.we.rre (Mamardawerre)
Some syllables look familiar to English speakers, but you need to be careful not to pronounce them as in English:
- yaw (English: movement of a boat) but in Kunwok it rhymes with the vowel in "ouch!", e.g. wurdyaw (child)
- bang (English: loud noise) but in Kunwok it sounds like how we pronounce "bung" (broken), e.g. bangkerreng (knock 'em down storm season)
- kang (English, start of kangaroo) but in Kunwok it might not even be a single syllable e.g. ka.ngi.men (it went inside)
Finally, pronounce each syllable in succession.
Notes
- Kunwok placenames sometimes have an English spelling that is distinct from the Kunwok spelling, e.g. Gunbalanya~Kunbarlanja