Scellan/Accents

A major language of Verse:Tricin, Skellan has many accents. Some common accent features are

• "R-breaking": certain /rC/ clusters epenthesize to /rəC/. Most accents have this feature to some degree.
• long vowels for nasal vowels
• In nasal accents: nasal vowel mergers so that the total number of nasal vowels is less than 10. The first victims tend to be the back nasal vowels /ũ õ ɔ̃/ (which often merge into two vowels) and the front rounded nasal vowels /ỹ ø̃ œ̃/ (which often merge into their unrounded counterparts /ĩ ẽ ɛ̃/).
• Some dialects such as conservative Alcvean retain the conservative pronounciation of y as [ɨ] in some environments. Backed realizations of stressed y, such as [ʌ], [ɤ] or [ʊ], is a special feature of some accents.
• Pronouncing n before V as [l]
• Like in English, there are various "nonstandard" pronunciations of /θ ð/:
  • These may become stops, dental [t̪˭ d̪] or alveolar [t˭ d], in some environments. In Skellan eye dialect this may be transcribed by substituting d for þ.
  • /ð/ may become [z], and /θ/ might participate in a chain shift θ > t > d.
  • /θ ð/ may be realized as "slit fricatives" [θ̠ ð̠~ɹ]. In dialects that do this, /ð/ after a vowel tends to become [ʋ].
• /k/-glottalization in coda
• Allophonic vowel length or tensing, especially in non-nasal accents
  • Vowels may lengthen in open syllables, before voiced consonants, or before front fricatives /f v θ ð s z/.
• Some accents might merge /œ/ and /ə/, or /œy/ and /ɔu/.

Take inspiration from German dialects

• /ai/ > /ɔə/ like Bavarian

Skellan accents

Todo: More Skellan accents

Conservative Alcvean

This is the most well-known of the non-nasal accents. It is characterized by having a vowel length distinction instead of nasal vowels.

TODO: merge some nasal vowels with other vowels

• l is pronounced [ɴ̆] before a vowel.
• Short vowels: /i y ə u ɛ œ a ɔ/ = [i y ə u e ø a o] (/y œ/ are more front than in General Fyxoomian)
• nasal vowels: /ĩ ỹ ũ ẽ ø̃ ə̃ õ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃/ = [iɤ yɤ uɤ ɛjɤ œyɤ ɔwɤ eɤ aɤ oɤ]
• Diphthongs: /ai ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ œy ɔu iə yə uə/ = [aə ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ œy ɔu iə yə uə]
• Unstressed /ə̃/ is traditionally pronounced [ɤ], however in Modern Eetøøm it merges with /ɔ/.
• In Conservative Eetøøm, y in unstressed syllables is pronounced [ɨ].
• /hm hn hŋ/ may be realized as [ʔm ʔn ʔŋ] when not word-initial and not before a stressed vowel.
• Linking L after nasal vowels (analogous to linking R in RP)
  • For example, gyl jew in 'out of the blue' is often pronounced /ko jɛu‿ʟ in/.
• R-breaking: Anywhere after a stressed vowel, /rC/ for voiced C undergoes epenthesis to [ɾəC].
  • arm 'to live' = [ˈaɾəm]
  • arn 'second (ordinal)' = [ˈaɾən]
  • serŋ 'new' = [ˈseɾəŋ]
  • derv 'to put up with' = [ˈteɾəv]
  • orð 'big' = [ˈoɾəð]
  • bwrl 'pine' = [ˈpuɾɤ]
• R-fortition: rC > r̥C for voiceless C.
  • nert 'spark' = [ner̥t]
  • arca 'skin' = [ˈar̥kʰə]

Contemporary Alcvean

The contemporary accent of Alcve, the capital of Skella. This is the default accent used in newscasting in Skella.

• l is pronounced [ʁ̃] before a vowel.
• /ai au/ = [æː ɑʊ]
• /ĩ ỹ ũ ẽ ø̃ ə̃ õ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃/ = [yː uː uː ɛu oː ɔu ɔu ʌː ɑː oː]
  • Linking L after nasal vowels, even when not historically nasal
• /ɛi œy ɔu/ = [eɪ øʏ oː]
• /iə yə uə/ = [iː yː uː]
• Unstressed /ə̃/ and /ɔ/ are realized as [o].
• /ui/ = [oi] or even lower [oe] or [ɔe]
• Especially in working-class accents, /ð/ may become [z], and /θ/ may participate in a chain shift: /θ/ > [t] and /t/ > [d].
• For the 1st person pronoun naw, the form no is preferred in colloquial speech. Due to the L-linking rule (see above), this has led to the stereotype of Skellans saying nol for naw among non-Skellans.

Skellan accent #2

• /ĩ ỹ ũ ẽ ø̃ ə̃ õ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃/ are realized as [eː øː oː ɛː œː oː oː ɛː ɑɔ~ɑː ɔː] (more conservatively, /ĩ ỹ ũ/ are [ɪː ʏː ʊː])
• ai wi aw ew iw ee øø oo = /aiː yiː auː ɛuː iuː ɛiː œyː ɔuː/
• voiced b d g
• /j/ = [ʝ~ʒ]

Hema Vrawm (nasal)

• /œ/ = /ə/ = [ʌ~ʊ]
• /œy/ = /ɔy/
• sb sd sg = [hp ht hk]

Skellan accent #4 (conservative)

• ai = [ɔɑ]
• ee øø oo are all monophthongs: [e: ø: o:]
• /ç/ and /h/ before plosives = [x]
• /h/ after V and before a resonant = [ʔ]
• /ʟ/ = [ɫ~l]; /χ/ can be [ɬ~ɧ~χ]

Fyxoomian accents

General Fyxoomian Skellan

This is the de facto standard accent of Fyxoom.

• /œ y/ are commonly centralized, closer to [ɞ ʉ].
• /ai ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ œy ɔu iə yə uə/ = [ai ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ ɞʉ ɔu iə yə uə]
• epenthesis in /rC/ clusters when C = nasal or /v/. For example, arm 'to live' is [ˈaɾəm].
• Nasal vowels are also consistently pharyngealized, resulting in mergers. The pharyngealization is stronger before nasals.
  • wl~ool [õˁ]
  • il~eel~ul [ẽˁ~ø̃ˁ]
  • el~øl~øøl [ɛ̃ˁ~œ̃ˁ]
  • ol [ɔ̃ˁ]
  • al [ãˁ]
• /k/ is [ʔ] when after a stressed vowel.

Lleeband

General Fyxoomian is currently shifting to a more Lleeband-like accent.

Like General Fyxoomian except:

• General Fyxoomian /ʉ ʉə ɵ/ are unrounded to [ɨ ɨə ɜ].
• /œ/ and stressed /ə/ merge to [ɜ]
• /ɔ/ is raised to [oə].
• /ai ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ œy ɔu iə yə uə/ = [ae oi ao æː iu əi əɨ əu iə ɨə uə]
• Extreme raising of /a/ before /k/ or /h/ to [ɛə~eə].
  • For example, glah 'will' is pronounced [kʀɛəh~kʀeəh].
  • lymbág 'to refuse' is pronounced [ʟəmbɛəʔ~ʟəmbeəʔ].
• Creaky voice for some people

Hipster accent

Stereotypes: pretentious, trying too hard to be literary or artsy or different

A Fyxoomian "hipster" (Eevo: erjaðolib) sociolect most strongly characterized by deliberate archaisms and Skellanisms.

• /ai ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ œy ɔu iə yə uə/ = [aiː wiː auː euː juː əiː ɵʉː ouː jəː ɥəː wəː]
• Resistance to /œ/-/ə/ merger: /ə/ is slightly raised, while /œ/ is very low and back [ɒ].
• /k kʰ/ = [kʲ kʰʲ] when not followed by /ʟ/
• /ĩ ỹ ũ ẽ ø̃ ə̃ õ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃/ = [iy iy uː eo eo oː ɛɑ aː ɔː] (with or without linking L)
• b d g /p t k/ are consistently voiceless.
• ł /w/ is purely velar [ɰ]; it can merge with /ʟ/
• r devoices before voiceless consonants and also before /m n ŋ ʟ/

Cøøvean

Influenced somewhat by the Eetøøm accent

• nasal vowels are pronounced with [-ŋ]
• /ɛi/ is pronounced [ei] when followed by a consonant and [æi] otherwise.
• /sm sn sŋ sʟ sr sp st sk/ are retracted in all positions to [s̺m s̺n s̺ŋ s̺ʁ s̺r s̺p s̺t s̺k~ɧ] (cf. Swiss German)

Sirahda

One of the less well-known accents, this is the accent of the Fyxoomian city of Sirahda and its environs.

• /ç/ is fronted to [ɕ] and triggers retraction of /ʃ tʃ/ to [ʂ tʂ].
• /χ/ is fronted to [x].
• /œ/ = [ʊ]
• The Flian accent has a "trap-bath split" reminiscent of RP, but its distribution is more like the phonemic tense-a system in Philadelphian English. Stressed /a/ usually shifts to [ɑ], but is instead pronounced [æː] before /mC nC f v s z θ ð/ in closed syllables or in final open syllables. Monosyllabic function words do not use tense [æː]. For example:
  • jamb, rrand, mand [jæːmp, r̥æːnt, mæːnt] 'to whine, wall, to take'
  • saþ /saθ/ 'salty' is pronounced [sæːθ], but baþa 'gun' is pronounced [pɑθə].
  • syvŋá 'art' is pronounced [səvŋæː].
• Stressed /i/ and /u/ also lengthen to [i:] and [u:] before /mC nC/ sequences.
  • For example, frindu 'music' is pronounced [fri:ndʉ].
• A chain vowel shift ("Sirahda Vowel Shift") affects the following non-nasalized vowels.
  1. /ɛu, ui/ > [eo~eə~ɛː, oe~oə~oː]
  2. /au, ai/ > [æw, ɑɪ]
  3. /ou, øy, ei/ > [œw~œː, œi, æj]
  4. /u, y, i/ > [ʊ, ʏ, ɪ]
  5. /uə, yə, iə/ > [uː, yː, iː] before C
• Front nasal vowels are realized as rhotic nasal vowels: /ẽˁ~ø̃ˁ, ɛ̃ˁ~œ̃ˁ/ are realized as rhotic nasal vowels [ɚ̃, ʌ̃ɚ] or even rhotic oral vowels [ɚ, ʌɚ].
• /θ ð/ > [t̪˭ d̪] often occurs.

Cnollta

Spoken in the Cnollta region in Fyxoom, this accent is often perceived as backwards and boorish.

Similar to General Fyxoomian, but:

• /θ/ becomes a slit fricative [θ̠]. In broad Cnollta accents it may become [ʂ], especially after vowels.
• /ð/ > [ɹ~ʋ] especially after vowels.
• /ʃ/ becomes [ɕ] in broad Cnollta.
• A chain shift of vowels known as the Cnollta vowel shift:
  1. The triggering shift is a merger of /ɔu/ and /œy/ into [əʏ~ʌʏ], similar to Estuary English GOAT, or [ɔʏ] like German eu. The most extreme realization is [ɑɪ]. The merged vowel is less front [ʌʉ] before /θ ð/.
  2. /ɛu/ backs to [aʊ~ɑʊ].
  3. /ai/ fronts to [æɪ].
  4. /ɛi/ raises to [eɪ] or [e:].
  5. /u/ may lower to [oʊ] or [əʊ].
  6. /uə/ monophthongizes to [u:].
  7. /yə iə/ may also monophthongize by analogy.

Hedarðøø

• There is no linking L.
  • wl~ool [õˁ~ɔ̃ˁ] > [uɐ̯]
  • il~eel~ul [ẽˁ~ø̃ˁ] > [iɐ̯]
  • el~øl~øøl [ɛ̃ˁ~œ̃ˁ] > [eɐ̯]
  • ol [ɔ̃ˁ] > [oɐ̯]
  • al [ãˁ] > [aː]
• /y œ/ = more front [y œ]; /u ɔ/ centralize/unround to [ü ʌ]; stressed /ə/ raises to [ɤ~ʊ]
• /m n ŋ/ denasalized initially to [b d g]
• j /j/ is fricativized to [ʝ]

Þrwhas

Non-nasal like Alcvean Skellan, but no linking L

r, rr = American r, sje?

• Monophthongs /i y ə u ɛ œ a ɔ/ are short in closed syllables and long in open syllables.
  • /a/ is back [ɑ].
• /ai au/ = [æː æʊ]
• /ĩ ỹ ũ ẽ ø̃ ə̃ õ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃/ = [iy yʉ ʊu eø øo əo ɔo ɛœ aɑ ɑɔ]
• /ɛi œy ɔu/ = [eɪ øʏ oʊ]
• Unstressed /ə̃/ and /ɔ/ are realized as [o]
• /ui/ = [oi]

Early Modern Skellan

• The liquid l was always pronounced [lˠ]. Likewise, ll was [ɬˠ].
• The nasal ŋ was always pronounced [ŋ].
• The letter y was pronounced /ɨ/.
• The vowel a was never reduced, and was always pronounced [a~ɐ].
• The diphthongs /ɛɪ œʏ ɔʊ/ (written ee øø oo) were long monophthongs [eː øː oː].
• The consonant ç /ç/ was /x/.
• In written diphthongs, the second element was longer unlike in most modern accents, i.e. ai wi aw ew iw ia ua wa = [ɐiˑ uiˑ ɐuˑ euˑ iuˑ iɜˑ yɜˑ uɜˑ]. Thus, for example, ai /ai/ [ɐiˑ] and aj /aj/ [aj] were phonemically distinct.

Eetøøm

The Eetøøm accent (eetøøm, lit. 'common mold', is an older word for 'standard') is an obsolete accent. It was similar to the Transatlantic accent, in that it was an artificial compromise between Fyxoomian and Skellan standard accents. It is the closest thing to a "posh" accent in the Skellan-speaking world; it was largely codified by one man, Llyméer Saiŋ, as a standard for "international eloquent Skellan" and was learnt by upper-class people and actors in Fyxoom and Skella, but fell out of use in the Populist era. Today it survives in classical singing and for elevated sci-fi, historical fiction or fantasy characters in fiction such as gods, kings or superintelligent beings.

The accent fully distinguished orthographic ŋ and l (l was always pronounced as a non-vocalized "dark L", [lʶ]), though the distinction was lost in coda position in the 1100s. (Saiŋ considered nasal and pharyngealized vowels to be ugly features.)

[ʔ] was used to resolve vowel hiatuses due to conscious Windermere influence: syém 'flag' was pronounced [sɨˈʔɛm] (whereas modern speakers tend to use [səˈɛm]).

Monophthongs are long in open syllables and short in closed syllables.

/œ y/ = [œ y] as in Standard Skellan

/ai ui au ɛu iu ɛɪ œy ɔu iə yə uə/ = [ai ui au eu iu ɛɪ ɞʉ ɔu iə yə uə] as in Fyxoomian

ll l ŋ = [ɬʶ lʶ ŋ] everywhere

Unstressed a /ə/ and y /ɨ/ are distinct

Non-native accents

Windermere

Skellan makes some contrasts not found in Windermere:

• Windermere speakers may have difficulty with some Skellan vowels, especially /œ/, stressed /ə/ and diphthongs in closed syllables.
• Voiced fricatives /v ð/ may be confused with /f θ/.
• /ç/ may be confused with /ʃ/ or /χ/.
• /z/ may be confused with /s/.
• /hm hn hŋ χ r̥/ may be pronounced [xm xn xŋ xʟ xr].

Talman Windermere speakers may use a non-nasal accent; Bjeheondian Windermere speakers may always pronounce ŋ and l as written, as in archaic or Eetøøm Skellan.

Clofabosin

• /j/ may be confused with /z/ - perhaps the most stereotypical Clofabian accent feature.
• /w/ may be confused with /v/.