Lesson 11: Pronunciation
01
Pronunciation
- We will consider next another subclass of continuants, the liquids, of which there are three: l, r, and ~r. In English, we have two polar variants of the phoneme l: "dark" variants made with the tongue depressed and "light" or "clear" variants made with the tongue held up. A dark variant (a) can be heard perhaps most clearly in contrast with a "clear" variant (b) in paired utterances such as: (1) kneel ease/Lil eats, (b) knee Lees/lilies. Observe the difference in the sound and in the tongue-action of these English-language liquids in medial position. You may use or may have heard alternate pronunciation of certain words, such as reality, pronounced with a "dark" l, now with a "clear" l, or you may pronounce a word such as milk with a "dark" l, but imitate a foreign, stage, or "more elegant" pronunciation of it with a "clear" l. At any rate, it is important that you recognize and learn to control the "clear" l because in Maya only "clear" l sounds are used. The Maya l occurs initially, medially, and finally. Listen carefully and imitate precisely what you hear:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 1
- lìib
- lèej
- làaj
- lòoj
- lùukʾ
02
Pronunciation
- We will consider next another subclass of continuants, the liquids, of which there are three: l, r, and ~r. In English, we have two polar variants of the phoneme l: "dark" variants made with the tongue depressed and "light" or "clear" variants made with the tongue held up. A dark variant (a) can be heard perhaps most clearly in contrast with a "clear" variant (b) in paired utterances such as: (1) kneel ease/Lil eats, (b) knee Lees/lilies. Observe the difference in the sound and in the tongue-action of these English-language liquids in medial position. You may use or may have heard alternate pronunciation of certain words, such as reality, pronounced with a "dark" l, now with a "clear" l, or you may pronounce a word such as milk with a "dark" l, but imitate a foreign, stage, or "more elegant" pronunciation of it with a "clear" l. At any rate, it is important that you recognize and learn to control the "clear" l because in Maya only "clear" l sounds are used. The Maya l occurs initially, medially, and finally. Listen carefully and imitate precisely what you hear:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 2
- pʾíilij
- ʾèelej
- pàalaj
- pòoloʾob
- pùuluh
03
Pronunciation
- We will consider next another subclass of continuants, the liquids, of which there are three: l, r, and ~r. In English, we have two polar variants of the phoneme l: "dark" variants made with the tongue depressed and "light" or "clear" variants made with the tongue held up. A dark variant (a) can be heard perhaps most clearly in contrast with a "clear" variant (b) in paired utterances such as: (1) kneel ease/Lil eats, (b) knee Lees/lilies. Observe the difference in the sound and in the tongue-action of these English-language liquids in medial position. You may use or may have heard alternate pronunciation of certain words, such as reality, pronounced with a "dark" l, now with a "clear" l, or you may pronounce a word such as milk with a "dark" l, but imitate a foreign, stage, or "more elegant" pronunciation of it with a "clear" l. At any rate, it is important that you recognize and learn to control the "clear" l because in Maya only "clear" l sounds are used. The Maya l occurs initially, medially, and finally. Listen carefully and imitate precisely what you hear:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 3
- pʾíil
- pʾéel
- pàal
- pòol
- pʾúul
04
Pronunciation
- The two r-sounds in Maya are neither of them much like the typical r-sound in American English. One of them, r, is produced by a single-flap of the tip of the tongue on the ridge behind the upper front teeth. This r is called flap r. Actually it is very similar to the sound of the medial consonant (spelled tt) in a fast pronunciation of American English Betty, or to the "r" of British Englishvery. This sound occurs only medial. Listen and repeat:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 4
- kʾán kʾìiritsʾ
- mèerech
- jaratʾ
- tòoroj
- x kʾùuruch
05
Pronunciation
- The other r-sound, ~r, is produced by a "trill" or multiple tapping of the tongue at the same point of articulation as for r. This is one of the varieties of the Spanish trill-r (rr) and, in fact, it occurs only in Spanish loans. It may occur initially, and finally, where it does not contrast with the flap r, and also medially, where it does. Listen and repeat:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 5
- ríigobèertoj
- refùujyoj
- ráamon
- robèertoj
- rufìinoj
06
Pronunciation
- The other r-sound, ~r, is produced by a "trill" or multiple tapping of the tongue at the same point of articulation as for r. This is one of the varieties of the Spanish trill-r (rr) and, in fact, it occurs only in Spanish loans. It may occur initially, and finally, where it does not contrast with the flap r, and also medially, where it does. Listen and repeat:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 6
- sufrìir
- deber
- káastigàar
- táambor
07
Pronunciation
- The other r-sound, ~r, is produced by a "trill" or multiple tapping of the tongue at the same point of articulation as for r. This is one of the varieties of the Spanish trill-r (rr) and, in fact, it occurs only in Spanish loans. It may occur initially, and finally, where it does not contrast with the flap r, and also medially, where it does. Listen and repeat:
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 7
- tìiroj
- sìi˜roj
- peroj
- yèe˜roj
- kàaroj
- kàa˜roj
- lòoroj
- pòo˜raj
- pùuroj
- bùu˜roj
08
Pronunciation
- We will now turn to still another sub-class of Maya continuants, the nasals. There are two principal nasals in Maya, a bilabial nasal "m", and a dental nasal "n". Before vowels in word-initial position, and after vowels, in word-final position, these two contrast, both before and after each of the five vowels, as well as before and after a variety of Maya accents combined with each of the vowels. In English, there is another nasal, sometimes written "ng", as in sing or singer, sometimes just "n", as in sink or finger. The third nasal also occurs in Yucatec May, but in a manner which varies from place to place in Yucatan and from context to context in the speech of one individual. In fast speech, in Yucatec Maya, the third nasal, which we here write n (engma), occurs before a velar (j,g,k, kʾ) or labio-velar (w) consonant, as well as before another nasal (m,n), or occasionally, in utterance-final position, before a pause. In slow speech, the third nasal n (engma), may be replaced by n. In one and the same Maya item (such as the possessive ʾin "my"), in fast speech, one may find all three of the nasals: m before labial stops (p, pʾ,b), n before dental stops (t, tʾ, dʾ), affricates (ts, tsʾ, ch, chʾ), fricatives (s, x) or semi-vowels (y), and n (engma) elsewhere (as noted above). In slow speech, in such items, either m or n (engma) may be everywhere replaced by n. Listen carefully to the nasals in the exercises below and imitate them precisely. Most of the about mentioned possibilities appear. When conversing with native speakers of Yucatec Maya, do as they do.
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 8
- mìis
- mèes
- màax
- mòol
- mùul
- niʾ
- nej
- naj
- nojoch
- nukuch
09
Pronunciation
- We will now turn to still another sub-class of Maya continuants, the nasals. There are two principal nasals in Maya, a bilabial nasal "m", and a dental nasal "n". Before vowels in word-initial position, and after vowels, in word-final position, these two contrast, both before and after each of the five vowels, as well as before and after a variety of Maya accents combined with each of the vowels. In English, there is another nasal, sometimes written "ng", as in sing or singer, sometimes just "n", as in sink or finger. The third nasal also occurs in Yucatec May, but in a manner which varies from place to place in Yucatan and from context to context in the speech of one individual. In fast speech, in Yucatec Maya, the third nasal, which we here write n (engma), occurs before a velar (j,g,k, kʾ) or labio-velar (w) consonant, as well as before another nasal (m,n), or occasionally, in utterance-final position, before a pause. In slow speech, the third nasal n (engma), may be replaced by n. In one and the same Maya item (such as the possessive ʾin "my"), in fast speech, one may find all three of the nasals: m before labial stops (p, pʾ,b), n before dental stops (t, tʾ, dʾ), affricates (ts, tsʾ, ch, chʾ), fricatives (s, x) or semi-vowels (y), and n (engma) elsewhere (as noted above). In slow speech, in such items, either m or n (engma) may be everywhere replaced by n. Listen carefully to the nasals in the exercises below and imitate them precisely. Most of the about mentioned possibilities appear. When conversing with native speakers of Yucatec Maya, do as they do.
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 9
- pìim
- chèem
- tàam
- lòom
- jùum
- míin
- chéen
- táan
- toʾon
- juʾun
10
Pronunciation
- We will now turn to still another sub-class of Maya continuants, the nasals. There are two principal nasals in Maya, a bilabial nasal "m", and a dental nasal "n". Before vowels in word-initial position, and after vowels, in word-final position, these two contrast, both before and after each of the five vowels, as well as before and after a variety of Maya accents combined with each of the vowels. In English, there is another nasal, sometimes written "ng", as in sing or singer, sometimes just "n", as in sink or finger. The third nasal also occurs in Yucatec May, but in a manner which varies from place to place in Yucatan and from context to context in the speech of one individual. In fast speech, in Yucatec Maya, the third nasal, which we here write n (engma), occurs before a velar (j,g,k, kʾ) or labio-velar (w) consonant, as well as before another nasal (m,n), or occasionally, in utterance-final position, before a pause. In slow speech, the third nasal n (engma), may be replaced by n. In one and the same Maya item (such as the possessive ʾin "my"), in fast speech, one may find all three of the nasals: m before labial stops (p, pʾ,b), n before dental stops (t, tʾ, dʾ), affricates (ts, tsʾ, ch, chʾ), fricatives (s, x) or semi-vowels (y), and n (engma) elsewhere (as noted above). In slow speech, in such items, either m or n (engma) may be everywhere replaced by n. Listen carefully to the nasals in the exercises below and imitate them precisely. Most of the about mentioned possibilities appear. When conversing with native speakers of Yucatec Maya, do as they do.
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 10
- im pàal
- ʾim pʾóok
- ʾim baʾal
- ʾin màamaj
- ʾin fòokoj
11
Pronunciation
- We will now turn to still another sub-class of Maya continuants, the nasals. There are two principal nasals in Maya, a bilabial nasal "m", and a dental nasal "n". Before vowels in word-initial position, and after vowels, in word-final position, these two contrast, both before and after each of the five vowels, as well as before and after a variety of Maya accents combined with each of the vowels. In English, there is another nasal, sometimes written "ng", as in sing or singer, sometimes just "n", as in sink or finger. The third nasal also occurs in Yucatec May, but in a manner which varies from place to place in Yucatan and from context to context in the speech of one individual. In fast speech, in Yucatec Maya, the third nasal, which we here write n (engma), occurs before a velar (j,g,k, kʾ) or labio-velar (w) consonant, as well as before another nasal (m,n), or occasionally, in utterance-final position, before a pause. In slow speech, the third nasal n (engma), may be replaced by n. In one and the same Maya item (such as the possessive ʾin "my"), in fast speech, one may find all three of the nasals: m before labial stops (p, pʾ,b), n before dental stops (t, tʾ, dʾ), affricates (ts, tsʾ, ch, chʾ), fricatives (s, x) or semi-vowels (y), and n (engma) elsewhere (as noted above). In slow speech, in such items, either m or n (engma) may be everywhere replaced by n. Listen carefully to the nasals in the exercises below and imitate them precisely. Most of the about mentioned possibilities appear. When conversing with native speakers of Yucatec Maya, do as they do.
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 11
- k in tàal
- k in tʾàan
- ʾin siʾ
- ʾin niʾ
- ʾin láakʾ
- ʾin tsàats
- t in tsʾáaj
- ʾin chìich
- ʾin chʾʾìichʾ
- ʾin jùum
12
Pronunciation
- We will now turn to still another sub-class of Maya continuants, the nasals. There are two principal nasals in Maya, a bilabial nasal "m", and a dental nasal "n". Before vowels in word-initial position, and after vowels, in word-final position, these two contrast, both before and after each of the five vowels, as well as before and after a variety of Maya accents combined with each of the vowels. In English, there is another nasal, sometimes written "ng", as in sing or singer, sometimes just "n", as in sink or finger. The third nasal also occurs in Yucatec May, but in a manner which varies from place to place in Yucatan and from context to context in the speech of one individual. In fast speech, in Yucatec Maya, the third nasal, which we here write n (engma), occurs before a velar (j,g,k, kʾ) or labio-velar (w) consonant, as well as before another nasal (m,n), or occasionally, in utterance-final position, before a pause. In slow speech, the third nasal n (engma), may be replaced by n. In one and the same Maya item (such as the possessive ʾin "my"), in fast speech, one may find all three of the nasals: m before labial stops (p, pʾ,b), n before dental stops (t, tʾ, dʾ), affricates (ts, tsʾ, ch, chʾ), fricatives (s, x) or semi-vowels (y), and n (engma) elsewhere (as noted above). In slow speech, in such items, either m or n (engma) may be everywhere replaced by n. Listen carefully to the nasals in the exercises below and imitate them precisely. Most of the about mentioned possibilities appear. When conversing with native speakers of Yucatec Maya, do as they do.
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 12
- in kìik
- ʾin kʾiʾikʾel
- ʾin gràasyaj
13
Pronunciation
- We will now turn to still another sub-class of Maya continuants, the nasals. There are two principal nasals in Maya, a bilabial nasal "m", and a dental nasal "n". Before vowels in word-initial position, and after vowels, in word-final position, these two contrast, both before and after each of the five vowels, as well as before and after a variety of Maya accents combined with each of the vowels. In English, there is another nasal, sometimes written "ng", as in sing or singer, sometimes just "n", as in sink or finger. The third nasal also occurs in Yucatec May, but in a manner which varies from place to place in Yucatan and from context to context in the speech of one individual. In fast speech, in Yucatec Maya, the third nasal, which we here write n (engma), occurs before a velar (j,g,k, kʾ) or labio-velar (w) consonant, as well as before another nasal (m,n), or occasionally, in utterance-final position, before a pause. In slow speech, the third nasal n (engma), may be replaced by n. In one and the same Maya item (such as the possessive ʾin "my"), in fast speech, one may find all three of the nasals: m before labial stops (p, pʾ,b), n before dental stops (t, tʾ, dʾ), affricates (ts, tsʾ, ch, chʾ), fricatives (s, x) or semi-vowels (y), and n (engma) elsewhere (as noted above). In slow speech, in such items, either m or n (engma) may be everywhere replaced by n. Listen carefully to the nasals in the exercises below and imitate them precisely. Most of the about mentioned possibilities appear. When conversing with native speakers of Yucatec Maya, do as they do.
Liquids
Pronunciation exercise number 13
- in w íitsʾin
- ʾin w èensmaj
- ʾin w àal
- ʾin w óol
- k in w ukʾul
- k in yìib
- ʾin y éeymaj
- ʾin yaʾ
- ʾin yoron
- ʾin yùum
14
Pronunciation
- In 5.2.2 we were introduced to Maya intonation patterns (exercises 1-5) and to a fair number of basic patterns (7). All of these appeared in the Basic Sentences of Lesson 1. From the Basic Sentences of Lesson 2 and following, we extract these examples which illustrate further basic patterns:
More on Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 14
- jaʾ
- trèes
- ʾìik
- jatsʾuts
- lelaʾ
- ʾa chan tàanajaʾ
15
Pronunciation
- In 5.2.2 we were introduced to Maya intonation patterns (exercises 1-5) and to a fair number of basic patterns (7). All of these appeared in the Basic Sentences of Lesson 1. From the Basic Sentences of Lesson 2 and following, we extract these examples which illustrate further basic patterns:
More on Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 15
- t a najil
- ʾin meyajtikech
- jatsʾuts a chan tàanajaʾ
16
Pronunciation
- In 5.2.2 we were introduced to Maya intonation patterns (exercises 1-5) and to a fair number of basic patterns (7). All of these appeared in the Basic Sentences of Lesson 1. From the Basic Sentences of Lesson 2 and following, we extract these examples which illustrate further basic patterns:
More on Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 16
- wayileʾ
- tún meyaj
- jàaj a tʾàan
- le in tàanajoʾ
17
Pronunciation
- In 5.2.2 we were introduced to Maya intonation patterns (exercises 1-5) and to a fair number of basic patterns (7). All of these appeared in the Basic Sentences of Lesson 1. From the Basic Sentences of Lesson 2 and following, we extract these examples which illustrate further basic patterns:
More on Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 17
- in kʾàabaʾ
- ʾin kìikiʾ
18
Pronunciation
- In 5.2.2 we were introduced to Maya intonation patterns (exercises 1-5) and to a fair number of basic patterns (7). All of these appeared in the Basic Sentences of Lesson 1. From the Basic Sentences of Lesson 2 and following, we extract these examples which illustrate further basic patterns:
More on Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 18
- míimaʾak
- máʾ xàaniʾ
- bwénas nòoches
- téʾ t a kʾàanoʾ
- táant in wèensikeʾ
- baʾax u kʾàabaʾ lelaʾ
- chen kuàatroj semàanáas