Coast Tsimshian phonology

## Vowels

Next to transcriptions in the IPA are the conventional orthography in angle brackets.

The low back vowel can either be the long [a] or the short and slightly raised [ʌ] depending on context. John Asher Dunn assumes this vowel as the schwa.

Underlining /a/ is optional for indicating the back long vowel, and fluent speakers will usually omit it.

Dunn's representation of the high back vowel seems to be slightly more forward than the IPA equivalent, since he uses the phonetic symbols [ɨ̈] or [ɪ̈].

## Consonants

As in the Vowels section, symbols in boldface reflect the conventional orthography, and IPA equivalents are given in brackets. In the practical orthography, uvulars are indicated by underlining the velar letters, ⟨ḵ g̲⟩, and the position of the apostrophe before or after the consonant letter distinguishes glottalization.

Both John Asher Dunn and Franz Boas (as reported by A.C. Graf von der Schulenberg ) find that the fricative /s/ has two variants: [s] or [ʃ].

The velar glide /ɰ/ ⟨ẅ⟩ is a "w pronounced with lips unrounded".

The glottalization diacritic ⟨ ' ⟩ may be switched to the other side of a velar segment depending on whether it falls pre-, post- or intervocalically. In speech, glottalized segments before a vowel will result in simultaneous realization of both, [kʼ]. Glottalized segments that follow vowels produce the glottalization first, then the consonant closure, [ʼk]. Intervocalically, the glottalization depends on where the stress falls. [ʼk] is pronounced after a stressed syllable, and [kʼ] is pronounced before a stress.

## Orthography

The Tsimshian orthography in use today is based on that developed by Tsimshianicists since the 1960s. It originally stems from Bruce Rigsby's work on the Gitksan language and includes John A. Dunn's work on Tsimshian and Marie-Lucie Tarpent's work on Nisga'a and Southern Tsimshian. Dunn, Tarpent, and Susan Marsden substantially revised it for School District No. 52 (Prince Rupert) when preparing the *Suwilaay'msga Na Ga'niiyatgm, Teachings of Our Grandfathers* book series in the early 1990s, with the blessing of the Tsimshian hereditary chiefs. Since then, the orthography and the recording of the language have largely been conducted by the Tsimshian Sm'algyax Authority. The Living Legacy Talking Dictionary provides both written and spoken samples of the language.

Another orthography, used only in Alaska, is taught by a private organization called Dum Baal-dum.

## Syllable structure

Tsimshian utilizes (C)CV or (C)CVC(C) syllable structures in which the vowels can occur long or short. Syllabic consonants are common and can technically occur anywhere within the word. The only consonants that qualify as syllabic (indicated optionally by underlining) are the sonorants /m/, /n/ and /l/ (and their glottalized counterparts). (Some writers will follow the Gitksan orthographic practice of writing the syllabic sonorants as /im/, /in/ and /il/.)

Examples:

* /hæj.mæː.dm/ "northeast wind"
* /n.læk/ "fireplace"
* /k'l.k'oːl/ plural of intransitive verb "dull"

Consonant clusters are common. Schulenberg reports finding /pt, pts, ptl, kts, qp, qtk, qtsc, qsk, nts, tɟ/ among many others, though only a smaller portion can occur in the rime. Note that these clusters do not contain syllabic consonants, but are only either in the onset or the coda.
Clusters at the ends of words often have an epenthetic vowel inserted, which is usually /a/ [ʌ] but can also be either /i/ [ɪ] or /ɯ/ [ɯ].

Examples (with other phonological changes):

* /ɟelq/ → [ɟelaɢ] "outside"
* /æːlks/ → [æːliks] "servant"
* /ʌʔʌjæːɰx/ → [æːjæːwɯx] "Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights"

## Vowel pitch

The long vowels of Tsimshian must be pronounced in one of three distinct ways: with a sustained pitch /eː/ → [eː]; a "falling pitch and offglide"/eː/ → [êə], or with the insertion of a glottal stop /eː/ → [eʔe]. In every day writing, the diacritical marks may be left out, so that the first two could be written ⟨ee⟩, whereas it is common to represent [eʔe]

Examples:

* (steady pitch) [kpiːl] "ten" (of abstract and round objects)
* (falling pitch) [nôsɯ] "wolverine"
* (glottal interruption) [χbæʔælʌ] "squall; storm from the south"

## Stress

The primary stress generally falls on the last syllable of a word. In the case of a suffix or connective being added, then the stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

## Phonological processes

There are a number of complex phonological processes that affect underlying segments. The following is just a sample of some of the changes that may occur.

* Short vowels followed by /l/ often become long vowels with /l/-deletion. /wælp/ → /wæːp/ "house"
* Glottalized /k/ and /q/ between vowels are often shortened to just a glottal stop. /sɒk'æɬ/ → [sɒʔæɬ] "divide, settle an estate"
* At the ends of words /q/ may undergo lenition to /χ/. /iːmq/ → /imχ/ "beard"
* A short vowel may be lengthened if the primary stress falls on it. /χæ/ → /χæː/ "male slave"
* /l/ and /n/ may alternate in reduplication. /c'inˀæm/ → /c'ilc'inˀæm/ "give"
* Long vowels may become diphthongs. /ɬoːl/ → /ɬowl/ "push through the water"

(note: The existence of diphthongs is questionable. Schulenberg claims that Franz Boas "always heard the individual vowels pronounced separately." Dunn, however, seems to believe that younger speakers will realize a diphthong. There may have been a change in the pronunciation since Schulenberg's research in 1894 and Dunn's subsequent work starting in the 1968. In any event, diphthongs are rare.)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Dunn, J.A. (1995)
2. ↑ Schulenberg, A.C. Graf von der, trans. Flaherty, Virginia C. (1992)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Schulenberg, (1992)