Could a language without consonants evolve?

NKVD

I've thought about this myself.

If you were to have a big enough vowel inventory -- expanded by tone and gemination -- then it could be possible. After all, there are languages with really weird consonant clusters with no vowels in-between, and languages with a ton of consonants and few vowels -- like Ubyx.
 

Marja

There are always going to be "more vowelish" and "more consonantal" sounds. Look, in English, when we put u between consonants, we call it a vowel, and when we put w between vowels, we call it a consonant, but each letter can represent some of the same sounds as the other.
 

Agatho

I think it might be possible, especially in parts of the world that are very isolated or where tonal languages are common, but the biggest problem that would have to be dealt with is onomatopoeia. There are too many sounds in nature that seem consonantal.
 

The Ubbergeek

On a related note, I am told some written - and important languages - have, or used to have NO vowels. Arabic, Hebrew, maybe other...

YHVH was written litteraly this way, by example, vowels added mentaly - there is still debates how to prononce old hebrew, methink.
 

CivisOccidensSum

Banned
The Ubbergeek said:
On a related note, I am told some written - and important languages - have, or used to have NO vowels. Arabic, Hebrew, maybe other...

YHVH was written litteraly this way, by example, vowels added mentaly - there is still debates how to prononce old hebrew, methink.
Click to expand...

A written language is but an expression of the spoken one, and would therefore always come later. Indeed, written Hebrew has no vowels. However, SPOKEN Hebrew does.
 

January First-of-May

IIRC one Mesoamerican tribe had a language that was so tonal that on large enough distances they (successfully) communicated entirely in whistles (whose pitch represented the tones). :)
Also IIRC, some Polynesian languages consisted about 70% of vowels (that is, in average speech, there were 2-3 vowels to one consonant, and many common words had no vowels at all). They were also (IIRC again) not even tonal... :confused:
 
9 Fanged Hummingbird

9 Fanged Hummingbird

January First-of-May said:
IIRC one Mesoamerican tribe had a language that was so tonal that on large enough distances they (successfully) communicated entirely in whistles (whose pitch represented the tones). :)
Also IIRC, some Polynesian languages consisted about 70% of vowels (that is, in average speech, there were 2-3 vowels to one consonant, and many common words had no vowels at all). They were also (IIRC again) not even tonal... :confused:
Click to expand...
You're thinking of the Zapotecs, I've heard the same thing about them.
 
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