View source for Sheikah language

{{Infobox language
|name=Sheikah
|pronunciation=/ˈʃi.kə, -ɑ/
|family=[[Sheikan languages|Sheikan]]
|era=until 2023
|scripts=[[Sheikah alphabet]]
|country=Early [[Marcyland]]
|demonym=Sheikah
|endonym=Sheikah /ˈʃɪj.kax/
|lang-code=SHK
}}
The '''Sheikah language''' is the common ancestor of the [[Sheikan languages]].

== Phonology ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Consonants
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |Bilabial
! colspan="2" |Alveolar
! colspan="2" |Postalveolar
!Palatal
! colspan="2" |Velar-Uvular
!Glottal
|-
!unv
!v
!unv
!v
!unv
!v
!
!unv
!v
!
|-
! rowspan="2" |Plosive
!
|/p/
|/b/
|/t/
|/d/
|
|
|
|/k/
|/g/
|/h/
|-
!Gem.
|
|
|/tː/
|
|
|
|
|/kː/
|/gː/
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |Nasal
!
|
|/m/
|
|/n/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Gem.
|
|
|
|/nː/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |Fricative
!
|/ɸ/
|/β/
|/s/
|/z/
|/ʃ/
|/ʒ/
|/ɕ/
|/x/
|
|
|-
!Gem.
|
|
|
|/zː/
|
|/ʒː/
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |Affricate
!
|
|
|/ts/
|
|/tʃ/
|
|/tɕ/
|
|
|
|-
!Gem.
|
|
|
|
|/tːʃ/
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |Liquid
!
|
|
|
|/l/
|
|/ɾ/
|/ʝ/
|/w/
|
|
|-
|'''Gem.'''
|
|
|
|
|
|/rː/
|
|
|
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vowels
!
! colspan="2" |Front
! rowspan="2" |Central
! colspan="2" |Back
|-
!
!Short
!Long
!Short
!Long
|-
|'''Close'''
|/i/
|
|ʉ
|
|
|-
|'''Close-Mid'''
|/e/
|/eː/
|
|/o/
|/oː/
|-
|'''Open-Mid'''
|
|/ɛː/
|
|
|/ɔː/
|-
|'''Open'''
|/a/
|/aː/
|
|
|
|}

==Orthography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rom. !! Pronunciation
!Kyawcenni
!Sheikah name
!Kyawcenni evolution
|-
| a || /a/
|/a/
[ə] (word-final)
|Akh Va’quot
|Ahko Bwaqyoc
|-
|aa
|/aː/
|/ɔː/ <au>
|Kaam Ya’tak
|Kaum Yaxtah
|-
|ae
|/ae/
|/aji/ <ayi>
|Ta’loh Naeg
|Taxlo Naying
|-
|ai
|/ɛː/
|/ɛː/
/aj/ (word-initial)
|Ja Baij
|Ja Baij
|-
| ao || /ao/
|/awɔ/ <awo>
|Hila Rao
|Hila Rawo
|-
| au || /ɔː/
|/ɔː/
/aw/ (word-initial)
|Katosa Aug
|Katosa Awng
|-
|b
|/b/
|
|Bosh Kala
|Boš Kala
|-
|cc
|/tːʃ/
|/ʃtʃ(i)/ <šč(i)>
|Rucco Maag
|Ruščo Maung
|-
|ch
|/tʃ/
|/tʃ/ <č>
|Chaas Qeta
|Čaus Qeta
|-
|d
|/d/
|
|Dah Kaso
|Dah Kaso
|-
| e || /e/
|/ɛ/
|Etsu Korima
|Ecu Korima
|-
|ee
|/eː/
|/eː/ <ê>
|Bareeda Naag
|Barêda Naung
|-
| ei || /ɪj/
|/ɪj/ <iy>
|Sheikah
|Šiykah
|-
|f
|/ɸ/
|/pw/ <pw>
|Soh Kofi
|Soh Kopwi
|-
|g
|/g/
|/g/ (onset)
/ŋ/ (coda)
|Kam Urog
|Kam Wurong
|-
|gg<ref name=":0"><gh> and <kh> are only used at the end of a word while following the vowels /a/, /a:/, /ɛː/ and /ɔː/. In all other cases, <gg> and <kk> are used respectively.</ref>
|/gː/
|/ŋg(ɔ)/ <ng(o)>
|Mogg Latan
|Mongo Latan
|-
|gh<ref name=":0" />
|/gː/
|/ŋg(ɔ)/ <ng(o)>
|Goma Asaagh
|Goma Asaungo
|-
|h
|/x/
|/χ/
[ʁ] between voiced phonemes
|Hawa Koth
|Hawa Koc
|-
|i
|/i/
|/i/ <nowiki><i></nowiki>
/ji/ <yi> (word-initial)
|Ishto Soh
|Išto Soh
|-
|j
|/ʒ/
|[dʒ] (onset)
[ʒ] (coda)
|Joloo Nah
|Jolô Nah
|-
|jj
|/ʒː/
|/ʒdʒ(i)/ <jj(i)>
|Kuhn Sidajj
|Kuhna Sidajji
|-
|k
|/k/
|/k/ (onset)
/χ/ (coda)
|Kah Mael
|Kah Mayiw
|-
|kh<ref name=":0" />
|/kː/
|/χk(ɔ)/ <hk(o)>
|Akh Va’quot
|Ahko Bwaxqyoc
|-
|kk<ref name=":0" />
|/kː/
|/χk(ɔ)/ <hk(o)>
|Kuh Takkar
|Kuh Tahkar
|-
|l
|/l/
|/l/ (onset)
/w/ (coda)
|Lakna Rokee
|Lahna Rokê
|-
|m
|/m/
|
|Myahm Agana
|Myahma Agana
|-
|n
|/n/
|
|Ne’ez Yohma
|Nexez Yohma
|-
|nn
|/nː/
|/n/ <n>
/na/ <na> (word-final)
|Lanno Kooh
|Lano Kôh
|-
|o
|/o/
|/ɔ/
|Oman Au
|Oman Aw
|-
|oa
|/oɐ/
|/ɔwa/ <owa>
|Tahno Oah
|Tahno Owah
|-
| oo || /oː/
|/oː/ <ô>
|Rota Ooh
|Rota Ôh
|-
|p
|/p/
|
|Pumaag Nitae
|Pumaung Nitayi
|-
|q
|/tɕ/
|/cç/
|Qaza Tokki
|Qaza Tohki
|-
|qu
|/tɕj/
|/cçj/ <qy>
|Qua Raym
|Qya Raym
|-
|r
|/ɾ/
|/ɻ/
|Rin Oyaa
|Rin Oyau
|-
|rr
|/rː/
|/ɻ/ <r>
/ɻa/ <ra> (word-final)
|Gorae Torr
|Gorayi Tora
|-
|s
|/s/
|
|Sasa Kai
|Sasa Kai
|-
|sh
|/ʃ/
|/ʃ/ <š>
|Shee Venath
|Šê Bwenac
|-
|t
|/t/
|/t/ (onset)
/ts/ (coda)
|Toh Yahsa
|Toh Yahsa
|-
|th<ref name=":1"><ts> is only used before the front vowels /i/ and /ʉ/. In all other cases, <nowiki><th> is used for /ts/.</nowiki></ref>
|/ts/
|/ts/ <c>
|Tho Kayu
|Co Kayu
|-
|ts<ref name=":1" />
|/ts/
|/ts/ <c>
|Tutsuwa Nima
|Tucuwa Nima
|-
|tt
|/tː/
|/sts(a)/ <sc(a)>
|Wahgo Katta
|Wahgo Kasca
|-
| u || /ʉ/
|/y/ <nowiki><u></nowiki>
/wy/ <wu> (word-initial)
|Shai Utoh
|Šai Wutoh
|-
|v
|/β/
|/bw/ <bw>
|Voo Lota
|Bwô Lota
|-
|w
|/w~u/
|
|Wahgo Katta
|Wahgo Kasca
|-
| ’<ref>Written as <x> in some romanizations</ref>|| /h/
|/ç/ <x>
|Ta’loh Naeg
|Taxloh Naying
|-
|y
|/ʝ/
|/j/
|Yah Rin
|Yah Rin
|-
|z
|/z/
|[dz] (onset)
[z] (coda)
|Zuna Kai
|Zuna Kai
|-
|zz
|/zː/
|/zdz(a)/ <zz(a)>
|Mezza Lo
|Mezza Lo
|}

==Grammar==

''TBC''

== Evolution to Kyawcenni ==
Sometimes <a> is added at the end of a word to solve consonant clusters.

ɛɾ, ɛrː > ɚ

==Sheikah vocabulary==
''For a list of Sheikah words, see [[Sheikah vocabulary]]''

==See also==
* [[Kyawcenni language]]

==References and notes==

[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Kyaw Cen]]