Neo Patwa

Neo Patwa is a modified proposal of Dunia Patwa. It keeps the same grammar and mostly the same vocabulary, but with a simpler vocabulary, which of course necessitates some changes in the vocabulary.

One of the real problems I feel with the current version of Dunia Patwa is the phonology. I think that there are potential difficulties with the voiced/voiceless or aspirated/unaspirated distinction in consonants. One idea would be to do away with those distinctions, as well as other potential problems, leaving an extremely limited phonology, like the following:

Vowels

A (father) (Open front unrounded)

E (pet) (Close mid-front unrounded)

I (sheet) (Close front unrounded)

O (coat) (Close mid-back rounded)

U (shoot) (Close back rounded)

Consonants

P (pen/ben) (Bilabial plosive)

K (cat/gat) (Velar plosive)

T (ten/den) (Alveolar plosive)

C (cheat/jeat) (Bilabial plosive)

' (uh-oh) Glottal stop. There is generally no need to indicate it.

F (fast) (Dental fricative)

S (sit/zit) (Alveolar fricative)

X (shell) (Post-alveolar fricative)

H (loch) (Uvular or velar fricative)

M (mine) (Bilabial nasal)

N (not) (Alveolar nasal)

J (yard) (Palatal approximant)

W (water) (Labial velar approximant)

L (long) (Alveolar lateral approximant)

This leaves only 11 consonants (or 12 counting the glottal stop), 2 semivowels and 5 vowels.

Morphology

In Neo Patwa, syllables can only end in vowels or N. Vowel clusters and some consonant clusters are still permitted.

Clusters

The consonant clusters allowed as basically the same as in Dunia Patwa, though of course there are less consonants available.

Guide to Pronunciation

There are a couple of difficulties in pronunciation, mostly involving the consonant and vowel clusters. Otherwise it's quite easy.

For the consonant clusters, they can be pronounced as pure clusters, but it is preferable to insert a reduced vowel, like a schwa in English, in between them. This is not written into the words, however.

For the vowel clusters, they should not be pronounced as diphthongs. Rather, they should be pronounced as individual sounds. It is OK to place a glottal stop in between them (like in "uh-oh") but it is also OK to place a j- before o and u, and a w- before a, i and e. So in reality, "tai" would be prounounced "tawi," and "kau" would be pronounced "kaju".