If natlangs were conlangs...

[Xephyr]

I think he rather meant that Western Europe isn't a traditional zone for language isolates, unlike say the Laotian highland or Papua New Guinea.

It "isn't a traditional zone for language isolates" just in the sense that there's only one language isolate (plus a couple in the historical period). Which turns that argument into "Western Europe has 1 isolate, therefore Western Europe should not have 1 isolate".

[Torco]

Kind of: more like if i didn't know basque was a natlang, then i'd think western europe has no isolates, and when presented with an isolate in western europe, i'd go "ah, come on, really?"

[Nortaneous]

Iaai looks normal compared to dGudzong Tibetan, which has, in addition to voiceless and voiced fricatives at all seven places of articulation, voiceless nasals and resonants, and a full set of front rounded vowels contrasting with back unrounded vowels, preaspirated and postaspirated fricatives.

And when I say preaspirated and postaspirated I mean both at the same time.

There are four tones, but no known minimal pairs between the tones.

[Dewrad]

An interesting point I will make here is that highland, herding populations resist language assimilation very well.

Interesting, I'll mention that to some Gaelic speakers... oh wait.

[Salmoneus]

Iaai looks normal compared to dGudzong Tibetan, which has, in addition to voiceless and voiced fricatives at all seven places of articulation, voiceless nasals and resonants, and a full set of front rounded vowels contrasting with back unrounded vowels, preaspirated and postaspirated fricatives.

And when I say preaspirated and postaspirated I mean both at the same time.

There are four tones, but no known minimal pairs between the tones.

Yeah, but how many possessives does it have?

[R.Rusanov]

The Gaels got highland-clearanced away. Genocide does tend to invalidate the model, yes.

[Legion]

Please stop talking about any subject which you don't know anything about. Which appears to be any subject but slavistics. Maybe.

[R.Rusanov]

Thank you for the contribution friend :^)

[Herr Dunkel]

Batshit language?

Avestan. Little else to say.

[Buran]

The Salishan languages. Whose idea was it to have syllabic fricatives?

[Click]

Same goes for Miyako.

[Drydic]

The Salishan languages. Whose idea was it to have syllabic fricatives?

What do these two phrases have to do with each other?

But to answer your question, east asian langs is who.

[Nortaneous]

How many East Asian languages even have syllabic fricatives? Naxi, Yi, and Miyako are the only ones I can think of, unless you count the apical vowel, which adds Mandarin and Lisu. Apparently Hlepho Phowa has the apical vowel and syllabic /v/, though the latter contrasts only marginally with ɯ, which may be realized as a syllabic fricative or with significant labiodental frication -- like Nias, where the high vowel /u/ is often realized with labiodentalization instead of rounding.

[Drydic]

How many East Asian languages even have syllabic fricatives? Naxi, Yi, and Miyako are the only ones I can think of, unless you count the apical vowel, which adds Mandarin and Lisu. Apparently Hlepho Phowa has the apical vowel and syllabic /v/, though the latter contrasts only marginally with ɯ, which may be realized as a syllabic fricative or with significant labiodental frication -- like Nias, where the high vowel /u/ is often realized with labiodentalization instead of rounding.

I was counting the apical vowel, but I can add Okinawan to the list with [f̩] (please do not ask me about phonemicity, I think the source claimed it was but I can't remember where I found the paper anymore).

[Arzena]

Arabic. Why do the newbs always try to make a triconsonantal root system. ugh

[Drydic]

More like Holy shit a noob got a triconsonantal language RIGHT FOR ONCE!!!.

[faiuwle]

This raises the question: if the original triconsonantal natlangs were conlangs, where's the precedent for how to do them correctly come from?

[Astraios]

More like Holy shit a noob got a triconsonantal language RIGHT FOR ONCE!!!.

Arabic's too regular to be right.

[ObsequiousNewt]

Iau.

"Whoah, look how many different tones are used in natlangs! I think I'm going to put them all into one language! Also, more than one tone can be on a vowel. Whatever that means.

Hmm... not kitchen-sinky enough; let's add nasalization, but *only* put it on /a/, so it's not phonemic.

Hmm, still not kitchen-sinky enough. Let's give it three varieties of /i/, one of which is actually fricated, but not include any /e/.

Hmm, still not a KSL. Let's give it only six consonants. Also, allophones are cool, so /f/ is going to have allophones of /h~x~p/, because that totally makes sense rite?"

[cromulant]

The languages of Europe all seem rather European, what with all the voiced fricatives and voicing as the only phonation distinction and whatnot. Not that there's anything wrong with that IF that's what you're trying to do. It's just that we don't know whether this was a conscious choice or the result of blind ignorance (sadly, the latter is all too often the case).

The creator of the languages of Europe may wish to consult this thread to get some ideas flowing.

[Legion]

This is turning into the Tautology Thread rather rapidly.

[Thry]

We should actually make that thread.

[Nesescosac]

Iau.

"Whoah, look how many different tones are used in natlangs! I think I'm going to put them all into one language! Also, more than one tone can be on a vowel. Whatever that means.

Hmm... not kitchen-sinky enough; let's add nasalization, but *only* put it on /a/, so it's not phonemic.

Hmm, still not kitchen-sinky enough. Let's give it three varieties of /i/, one of which is actually fricated, but not include any /e/.

Hmm, still not a KSL. Let's give it only six consonants. Also, allophones are cool, so /f/ is going to have allophones of /h~x~p/, because that totally makes sense rite?"

Well, now you've got me curious, but it seems there are multiple languages called Lau. Which is it?

[Drydic]

Iau.

"Whoah, look how many different tones are used in natlangs! I think I'm going to put them all into one language! Also, more than one tone can be on a vowel. Whatever that means.

Hmm... not kitchen-sinky enough; let's add nasalization, but *only* put it on /a/, so it's not phonemic.

Hmm, still not kitchen-sinky enough. Let's give it three varieties of /i/, one of which is actually fricated, but not include any /e/.

Hmm, still not a KSL. Let's give it only six consonants. Also, allophones are cool, so /f/ is going to have allophones of /h~x~p/, because that totally makes sense rite?"

Well, now you've got me curious, but it seems there are multiple languages called Lau. Which is it?

<iau> is different from <Lau>

[ol bofosh]

I also thought it was <L> not <i>.