Ottawa Phonology - Vowels

Vowels

Ottawa has seven oral vowel sounds, four long and three short. The long vowels ii, oo, aa are paired with the corresponding short vowels i, o, a. The long e has no corresponding short vowel. The phonological distinction between long vowels and short vowels plays a significant role in Ottawa phonology. Only short vowels can be metrically Weak and hence candidates for Syncope. Similarly long vowels are invariably metrically Strong and are never deleted.

The table gives the orthographic symbol and the primary phonetic values for each vowel.

Oral Vowels
Front Back
Close /ii/
/i/
Mid /e/ /oo/ ~
/o/ ~
Open /aa/
/a/ ~

There are also four nasal vowels, often occurring in the final syllable of nouns with diminutive suffixes or words with a diminutive connotation; orthographically the long vowel is followed by word-final to indicate that the vowel is nasal, but the use of

Read more about this topic:  Ottawa Phonology

Famous quotes containing the word vowels:

    “Playing “bop” is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.”
    —Duke Ellington (1899–1974)

    “These equal syllables alone require,
    Though oft the ear the open vowels tire;”
    —Alexander Pope (1688–1744)

    “As no one can tell what was the Roman pronunciation, each nation makes the Latin conform, for the most part, to the rules of its own language; so that with us of the vowels only A has a peculiar sound.”
    —Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)