Manual web database NasDat

Last update:8 July 2009.

1. Technical requirements
2. Querying the database
3. Language details
3.1. Tab page Language info
3.2. Tab page Syllables
3.3. Tab page Contrastive nasality
3.4. Tab pages Assimilation and Harmony
3.5. Tab page Segments
3.6. Tab page Examples
3.7. Tab page Stress
3.8. Tab page Remarks
3.9. Tab page Source(s)

1. Technical requirements

Minimal configuration
The NasDat website can be viewed with most recent browsers, such as Firefox 2+, Safari 2+, Opera 9+ or Internet Explorer 6+ and others.
Please note the following minimal requirements:
Recommended configuration
For best results, we recommend using Firefox 3 (or later) and installing the font Charis SIL, which can be downloaded from
http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&item_id=CharisSIL_download
(See also http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/phon_help/phonetic_fonts/ipa_and_browsers.html for a comment on using IE for displaying IPA)

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2. Querying the database

At the moment, the database contains only one record for demonstration purposes. At a later stage, when more language descriptions are added, a system will be available to browse and to query the data. To view the data for one specific language, click on the name of this particular language in the overview.

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3. Language details

The data available for each language are presented on a number of tab pages. You can select a specific tab page by clicking on the tab in question. You can scroll through the tab pages by means of the up and down arrows beneath the tab 'Sources'. The following paragraphs provide information about the contents of (most of) the individual fields on each tab page.
N.B. This chapter is based on W. Leo Wetzels & Rob Goedemans (2009), NASDAT, an Electronic Database for the Storage of the Parameters of Nasal Harmony. Amerinda (32), 322-344.

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3.1. Tab page Language info

Language:
Name of the language. Only one name is permissable in this field – please enter the most common name that is used for the language and enter possible alternative name in the following field.

Alternative names:
Alternative names of the language (if relevant), separated by a semi-colon.

Dialect of:
Sometimes differences between speech communities are small but significant, in which case one speaks of dialects of a single language. If the language being described is considered a dialect of a larger group, the name of the dialect is listed above under ‘language’ and the group (parent language) name is listed here. If there is no name for the specific dialect, the name of the village, town, or region where the dialect is spoken, is given.

People:
Name of the people that speaks the language. If the people are referred to by several names in the literature, multiple names are given.

Genetic Affiliation:
Here, it is noted whether the language is a linguistic isolate, or information regarding its linguistic affiliation (group (in case of a dialect), family, phylum) is provided.

Region:
More detailed geographical information, at least including the name of the region in which the language is spoken, end with the country name. Spelling of country names conform to English, i.e. Brazil, not Brasil; Italy, not Italia, etc.

Latitude and Longitude:
Latitude and longitude of the (centre of) the region where the language is spoken.

Number of speakers:
The (estimated) number of speakers, and, if available, the date of the source’s count.

Quote:
This field may contain a direct quote from the main primary source describing the Nasal Harmony pattern.

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3.2. Tab page Syllables

On this tab page, information about the syllable structure of the language is provided.

Syllable types:
This is basically a summation of the syllable structures possible in the language given in the format CV, CVV, CCV, etc. Common onset and coda restrictions can normally be included in this type of notation (i.e. coda is always glottal stop CV ), but this will complicate searches (a search for languages with codas would include CVC+CV+CVN, etc.). Separate fields are therefore added for such restrictions, so that it is possible to stick to a very broad description in this field. Collapsed syllable structure notation of the type CV(C) are avoided, since this also hampers searches. All syllable types are separated by commas.

Ambisyllabicity:
This field is designed to designate whether the language has segments that belong to two syllables simultaneously (which may not be easy to determine at face value). Structural considerations play a role in the decision of the status of, for instance, the /s/ in the Dutch noun kassa or the /s/ in the English noun concert.

Restrictions on single onsets:
If the language allows CV, CVV, CVC, CVVC (possibly with coda clusters), can the single onset then be any consonant (including glides) in the segment inventory of the language, or are certain (classes of) segments ruled out? A well-known restriction, for instance, is that English words cannot start with a velar nasal //, while it is prolific as a word-initial segment in numerous Australian languages.

Restrictions on onset clusters:
Describes which types of onset clusters are allowed. In a CC onset sequence, dependencies will exist between the first and the second consonant. If the first is a stop, many languages will require the second consonant to be a liquid. Another dependency might require the first to be /s/ if the second is a stop. It is impossible to give exhaustive lists here. Shorthand descriptions of the dependencies are preferred: [Cstop]{l,r}, s[Cstop], etc.

Restrictions on single codas:
If the language allows VC, VVC, CVC, CVVC (possibly with onset clusters), can the single coda then be any consonant (including glides) in the segment inventory of the language, or are certain (classes of) segments ruled out? A well-known restriction, for instance, is that Dutch words with long vowels cannot end with a velar nasal // *oo *aa. This example shows that restrictions on single codas (and onsets) need not apply across the board. If restrictions apply to a subset of the possible syllables, they must be listed here.

Restrictions on coda clusters:
Shows which types of coda clusters are allowed. In a CC coda sequence, dependencies will exist between the first and the second consonant. If the first is a stop, for instance, a language may require the second consonant to be /s/. Another dependency might require the first to be a liquid if the second is a stop. It is impossible to give exhaustive lists here. Shorthand descriptions of the dependencies are preferred: [Cstop]s, {l,r}[Cstop], etc.

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3.3. Tab page Contrastive nasality

On the tab page Contrastive nasality, information about the contrastive properties of consonants and vowels of the sound system within which nasal harmony functions is provided. In particular, questions focus on the nature of contrasts present in the set of non-continuant consonants. Together with the parameter setting for the nasal/oral opposition on vowels, these facts could reveal interdependencies between the presence/absence of specific contrasts and the presence/absence of specific types of contour segments in the language and possibly suggest explanations for the occurrence of the latter.

Voiced-voiceless stop contrast: Yes/No
Does the segment inventory of the language show a contrast between voiced and voiceless stops?

Nasal contrast on consonants: Yes/No
Does the segment inventory of the language show consonants that are only differentiated by their nasality?

Nasal-voiced stop contrast: Yes/No
Does the segment inventory of the language show a contrast between nasal and voiced stops?

Nasal-voiced stop contrast restrictions:
A language may have an opposition between voiced and nasal stops for some places of articulation only, either across the board, or in a given environment. If this is the case, state these restrictions.

Nasal-voiceless stop contrast: Yes/No
Does the segment inventory of the language show a contrast between nasal and voiceless stops?

Nasal-voiceless stop contrast restrictions:
A language may have an opposition between voiceless and nasal stops for some places of articulation only, either across the board, or in a given environment. If this is the case, state these restrictions.

Nasal-oral vowel contrast: Yes/No
Does the segment inventory of the language show vowels that are only differentiated by their nasality?

Nasal-oral vowel contrast restrictions:
Often the system of nasal vowels is more restricted than the system of oral vowels. Does this apply to the language in question? One need not state the restrictions here. Below in the window headed Examples, there is a special field for entering the nasal vowel system of the language.

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3.4. Tab pages Assimilation and Harmony

The tab pages Assimilation and  Harmony contains the parameters involved in nasal assimilation and long-distance nasal harmony. Languages may have assimilation, harmony, or both. Some languages have multiple assimilation or nasal harmony processes. In this case, a new language entry for each different process is added. These the entries are numbered L 1, L 2, L 3, etc., where L represents the name of the language. Under 'Quote', on the tab page Language info, it is stipulated for all the language entries created that L has more than one assimilation and/or harmony process, provide a concise characterization of the different types and state which type is being described in the present entry. Only the entry in L 1 contains the information that is characteristic of the language as a whole.
Although most of the parameters that appear on these tab pages are self-explanatory, please find a succinct explanation below.

Assimilation

Nasal assimilation: Yes/No
Nasal assimilation is understood here as the local spreading of a nasal feature, to maximally one segment at one or each side of the triggering segment (but see above).

Directionality:
Indicates whehter nasality spreads from the trigger to the left (regressive), to the right (progressive), or moves in both directions (bidirectional).

Trigger segments class:
Indicates which segments trigger nasal harmony/assimilation. The set of trigger segments is provided as a class, if possible.

Trigger segments list:
Gives the set of trigger segments as a list.

Conditions on trigger segments:
If there are conditions under which the trigger segments function as such, these are listed here.

Target segments class:
Identifies which segments receive nasality as the result of the harmony/assimilation rule. If possible, the set of target segments is provided as a class, .

Target segments list:
Lists the set of target segments.

Conditions on target segments:
If there are conditions under which the target segments become nasal, these are registered in this field.

Harmony

For information about the fields regarding trigger and target segments, see above under Assimilation.
Nasal harmony: Yes/No
Nasal harmony refers to cases of spreading whereby a feature spreads further than the neighboring segment, when the harmony is obtained from a floating nasal feature, or when the domain of spreading is a prosodic or morphological domain, such as the syllable. This excludes cases of one-directional assimilation (one segment to the left or to the right), as in languages where the nasal feature of an onset stop spreads to the preceding vowel or bi-directional assimilation (one segment to the left and to the right), as in languages where the nasal feature of an onset consonant spreads to the preceding and following vowel only.

Directionality:
Indicates whether  nasality spreads from the trigger to the left (regressive), to the right (progressive), or moves in both directions (bidirectional).

Domain of spreading (both phonological and morphological):
Provides the largest morphological or prosodic unit within which spreading takes place, for example: root, stem, word, syllable, foot, phonological word, clitic group, etc.

Valence:
Unary or binary. Valence is unary if the single value [nasal] is sufficient to account for the data. Valence is binary if [±nasal] is required.

Transparent segments class:
Provides the class of segments that let nasality pass, but that do not become nasal as part of the spreading process.

Transparent segments list:
Provides the list of segments that let nasality pass, but that do not become nasal as part of the spreading process

Blockers class:
Provides the class of segments that block the spreading process, if possible.

Blockers list:
Provides the list of segments that block the spreading process

Prenasalization of blockers: Yes/No
In some languages the blocking segments are prenasalized. If this happens in the language in question, this field states whether or not this applies to the class (or a subclass) of blocking segments.

Postnasalization of blockers: Yes/No
In some languages the blocking segments are postnasalized. If this happens in the language being entered, this field states whether or not this applies to the class (or a subclass) of blocking segments.

Contour segments:
Indicates whether the language have contour segments that cannot be considered variants of an underlying segment that is not a contour segment. This means that the contour property is itself contrastive in the language. Notice that it is possible for a language to have ‘No’ in this entry and still have contour segments in the language, as in Kaingang, where contour segments are derived.

Source of contour segments:
Languages may have contour segments that are derived from plain segments. Here we list three possible sources.
  1. Spreading of nasality.
    Contours can arise through the contextual influence of nasal segments. In a typical case VNC arise as variants of underlying sequences VC through progressive nasal spreading from the nasal vowel to the consonant (/ãp/> [amp]).
  2. Spreading of orality.
    Contours can arise through the contextual influence of oral segments. In a typical case VCN arise as variants of underlying sequences VN sequence through progressive spreading of orality from the nasal vowel to the consonant (/am/ > [abm]).
  3. Spontaneous contours (phonetic enhancement of non-sonorant voice). These contour segments typically occur as variants of underlying voiced oral stops, especially in the syllable onset (see for example discussion by Ohala 1983, Iverson & Salmons 1996, Keyser & Stevens 2006, Wetzels 2008).
N.B. It may sometimes be difficult to decide whether derived contour consonants are caused by the spreading of orality or by phonetic enhancement of non-sonorant voice.

Nasal morphemes: Yes/No
Sometimes the nasal feature represents some morphological category in the language, in which case it must be listed in the lexicon as a morpheme by itself, as, for example, in Terena, where /N/ represents the 1person singular morpheme.

Commutation level:
Establishes the level at which nasality is contrastive; specify segment/syllable/morpheme/other.

Spreading source:
Indicates phoneme or nasal morpheme

Floating nasal: Yes/No
In many languages exhibiting nasal harmony, words are either ‘entirely’ nasal or entirely oral. In such cases nasality is usually represented as a floating feature that is linked by the harmonic segments by association.

Stylistic conditions:
Asserts whether the rule is optional, if it only applies in fast speech, etc.

Adjacency conditions:
Specifies any conditions on the adjacency of nasal(ized) segments, such as segment adjacency, syllable adjacency, or none.

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3.5. Tab page Segments

On this tab page, segment information about the language is given, based on the UCLA Phonological Segment Inventory Database (UPSID, which can be found at http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/faciliti/sales/software.htm#upsid. The first lists shows all segments that have been entered for the language. Below that, you find an overview of these segments in three lists of phonemes: one for consonants, one for vowels and one for glottals and approximants.
N.B. If you hover the mouse cursor over a particular segment, the phonetic information regarding that segment is shown in a small popup window.

Anomalous Segments:
In this field the rare segments of the language are listed. Note that these segments are also present in the inventory metnioned above. This field simply conveys which of the segments in that list are anomalous according to the UPSID definition (rare segments, loans, etc.). For 317 languages the status of segments can be checked in UPSID. For the rest, the decision has been up to the encoder.

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3.6. Tab page Examples

On this tab page, you will find examples that illustrate the contrastive segments of the language.

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3.7. Tab page Stress

On this tab page, the stress system of the language is described.
 
Stress rule(s):
The stress rule(s)are described here.  As such descriptions may often be quite prolix, and thus not conducive to easy searching, stress patterns are coded. For this, the scheme used in the StressTyp database (where it has had 15 years to mature) is used. Stress codes for 510 languages can be found there. For stress systems that are not yet represented in StressTyp, new codes must have been created.

Stress Source:
This filed provides the descriptive source for the data in the previous field. Only primary sources are used, since second hand descriptions in theoretical works on stress may be inaccurate or biased.

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3.8. Tab page Remarks

On this tab page, any remarks pertinent to the complete entry for this language are given. This field typically contains information that the encoder could not put into one of the regular fields, but is relevant nonetheless, or information regarding alternative analyses of the data. If there was any doubt about certain data, this will have been expressed here also. Lastly, if the language has nasal morphemes, the morphological function of the nasal morpheme will be stipulated in this area. The field ends with the name of the person who entered the remark, if it is not the author of the entire record.

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3.9. Tab page Source(s)

On this tab page, you find information about the sources of the data for the language described in this record. First, name, affiliation and email address of the reasearcher are given. Next, you learn if the data are based on acoustic evidence (yes/no) and/or tested in a laboratory (yes/no).

Data collected:
In this field, it is indicated whether the data that you have entered for the language are collected by yourself ('the author'), from secondary sources, or both. Here, the notion ‘secondary source’ means that the data have been encoded from published sources that were not personally collected by the person who enters the data. 

Primary source(s):
Here the literature that describes the primary linguistic data of the language is listed. These are usually descriptive grammars, dissertations, or papers, but may be theoretical papers that are based upon data gathered by the author(s).

Secondary source(s):
Here, you find references to literature that uses the data of this language gathered by others for theoretical, comparative, typological, or other purposes.

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