Sumerian
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Revision as of 23:54, 20 October 2005 by DostanuotLoj (Talk | contribs)
| Sumerian Emegir | |
|---|---|
| Spoken in: | Sumer, Small groups of speakers in 12 to 15 countries. |
| Total declared fluent or learning speakers: | 2,002,030,780 (Estimate) |
| Genetic classification: | Language Isolate: No known relations. |
| Official language of: | Sumer |
| Regulated by: | Kalam Sajar Emegir National Counsel on the Sumerian Language |
Contents
Phonetic and Morphological Features
Spoken Sumerian is a very simple language in initial structure and pronounciation. This section will give a basic overview of Sumerian sounds and the formation of simple words.
Consonants
Sumerian comprises of fourteen phonemic consonants:
- /b/ Initial consonant sound in 'bike' (Voiced Bilabial Plosive)
- /m/ Initial consonant sound in 'map' (Boiced Bilabial Nasal)
- /d/ Initial consonant sound in 'dam' (Voiced Alveolar Plosive)
- /t/ Initial consonant sound in 'tank' (Voiceless Alveolar Plosive)
- /s/ Initial consonant sound in 'stick' (Voiceless Alveolar Fricative)
- /z/ Initial consonant sound in 'zoo' (Voiced Alveolar Fricative)
- /sh/ Final consonant sound in 'dash' (Voiceless Postalveolar Fricative)
- /j/ Final consonant sound in 'sing' (Voiced Palatal Nasal)
- /r/ Final consonant sound in 'car' (Voiced Alveolar Approximant)
- /l/ Initial consonant sound in 'light' (Voiced Alveolar Latteral Approximate)
- /n/ Initial/Final consonant sound in "noun" (Voiced Alveolar Nasal)
- /k/ Initial consonant sound in 'cat' (Voiceless Velar Plosive)
- /g/ Initial consonant sound in 'gun' (Voiced Velar Plosive)
- /x/ Final consonant sound in Scottish 'Loch' (Voiceless Uvular Plosive)
