Symbols used by Castrén
(This section concerns symbols in the original manuscripts. In GSL the use of symbols has been completely revised.)
Long vowels are written double, eg. aa, only in corrections are macrons used, eg. ā. An acute accent, eg. á, denotes a stressed vowel, and usually (e.g. in N) at the same time a long one. A short stressed vowel can be written with a breve and an acute accent, eg. ắ. Short unstressed vowels are sometimes marked with a breve, eg. ă. A grave accent, eg. à, denotes secondary stress (see phonology). A circumflex, eg. â, “denotes a broader sound” (286).
A slash between vowels means that the latter part is written above, without deleting the original vowel. In the web version, the second symbol is written superscript, eg. aε. Of these, at least aε and ou can be considered fixed symbols.
a͑ denotes a schwa sound.
aε (a with an epsilon-like character above) is clearly a fixed character, denoting e̮.
â denotes labialized a (å).
o
ô denotes closed, long ō̭ (or rather the diphthong uo).
ou or uo denotes a sound between o and u (ie. a reduced u) (same as û).
u (also denoting the consonant w)
û denotes a sound between o and u (ie. a reduced u) (same as ou).
î denotes back i (i̮), sometimes is used Russian ы.
ê denotes back e (e̮).
(ε is used in the combination aε, not alone)
ä
ö
y denotes ü (Castrén never uses the letter ü).
ụ (u with a stroke down on the right, like an y without hook) denotes a central ɯ sound (rarely used in Selkup, but common in Kamas and Nganasan).
i (also denoting the consonant j)
e
э denotes a schwa sound. In the Tundra dialects it is written ‘э or space + э.
Palatalization Castrén writes with a j after the consonant. Only in commentaries does sometimes a palatalization mark (eg. ľ) appear.
p
b
t
d
č denotes both retroflex č and palatal ć. Sometimes it is written with a hook: č̢ (for both č and ć). What meaning the hook has is unclear.
dš (rarely dž) denotes both retroflex ǯ and palatal ʒ́. Only in comments is ǯ used.
c or ts (in K and Nm in place of č). In Nm often written cц.
ds (only once dz) (in K and Nm in place of dš). Only in comments is ʒ used.
tj denotes palatalized t (ť)
dj denotes palatalized d (ď)
k
g
k͔ denotes back k. Castrén writes it either with two dots above, or a stroke through it. Both have been rendered with k͔. (Note: Castrén quite consistently writes a preaspiration before k͔ with a vowel, usually e, eg. šööle-gum. which is to be read šööl‿egum (= śȫľ‿əγ͔um).
ǥ denotes back g.
m (initially sometimes written ˜m. What meaning the tilde has is unclear)
n (initially sometimes written ˜n)
nj denotes palatalized n (ń) (initially sometimes written ˜nj).
ng denotes both ŋ and ŋg. ngg is only occassionally written at morpheme boundaries, eg. OO mernggu (merng + gu), and in K, denoting the strong grade. To express -ŋŋ- in the word taŋŋi Castrén has also chosen ngg.
h (N only)
f (N only)
x (= χ) In N also written hh
s usually denotes both s and the voiced z, the letters z or з Castrén uses only rarely.
ʃ ought to be a orthographic variant of s (as it is in the spelling of Swedish, where it has been rendered only as s), but it appears inconsistently, and sometimes one of the symbols is corrected to the other. It appears also in positions where a voiced z is expected.
ś is found three times in OO denoting palatalized s.
з (rarely z, usually not separated from s)
š denotes both š and the voiced ž, the letter ž Castrén does not use alone.
r
l
lj denotes palatalized l (ľ).
w or v denotes v (the difference is only orthographic, as in Castrén’s writing of Swedish) (bilabial w is written with u).
j (after a vowel generally written i).
An apostrophe ’ is sometimes used to separate syllables (does not denote a glottal stop in Selkup).
Underties ‿ (both separating and joining words) are the editor’s, a vertical line | separating words is Castrén’s.