sondlõpud

Son/dlõpud are a theoretical class of phonological endings discussed in morphophonology and in some constructed-language grammars. The term describes non-semantic suffix-like elements that attach to the end of a word or stem to signal prosodic or phonotactic information, such as boundary strength, boundary tone, or anticipated vowel length in the next syllable. They do not change the lexical meaning or grammatical category of the word; their purpose is to encode information about the surrounding phonological context.

Origins and typology: The concept is not tied to a single natural language. It is used as a generic label in typological sketches and in conlangs to explore how final segments might influence upcoming pronunciation. Son/dlõpud may appear as true suffixes, clitics, or terminal consonants or vowels, and their distribution can be universal or context-dependent, restricted to stressed words or specific morphosyntactic conditions.

Phonology and morphophonology: In analyses that use son/dlõpud, the ending can trigger boundary tones, alter stress placement, or induce vowel lengthening or shortening in the next syllable. The exact phonetic realization depends on the language system and may exhibit allophony.

Examples: A hypothetical Language X might deploy -a as a strong-boundary son/dlõp, elevating the following tone; Language Y might use -e for a weak boundary with no tone change. These examples illustrate functional possibilities rather than documented facts.

See also: morpheme, suffix, clitic, boundary tone, prosody, morphophonology.