Feb26 – A Constructed Language

Feb26 Historical Development

Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Text>, [IPA], -Tags-, and "Glosses".

Protolanguage Phonology

The protolanguage has 17 phonemes: 5 vowels and 12 consonants.

Protolanguage Vowels
front central back

high i i - - - u u

low-mid - ɛ e - - - ɔ o -

low - a a - -

Protolanguage Vowels
	front	central	back
high	i	i	-	-	-	u	u
low-mid	-	ɛ	e	-	-	-	ɔ	o	-
low	-	a	a	-	-

Protolanguage Consonants
labial coronal dorsal guttural

nasal voiced m m - - n n* - - ŋ n* - -

stop voiceless p p - - t t - - k k - ʔ '

voiced - - d d - - -

fricative voiceless - - s s - - x x - -

vocoid voiced - - l l - j y - w w - -

Protolanguage Consonants
	labial	coronal	dorsal	guttural
nasal	voiced	m	m	-	-	n	n*	-	-	ŋ	n*	-	-
stop	voiceless	p	p	-	-	t	t	-	-	k	k	-	ʔ	'
voiced	-	-	d	d	-	-	-
fricative	voiceless	-	-	s	s	-	-	x	x	-	-
vocoid	voiced	-	-	l	l	-	j	y	-	w	w	-	-

Protolanguage Syllables

In general, the possible syllables are C₁(C₂)V(C₃)(C₄).

If C₂ is absent, C₁ can be any consonant.
If C₂ is l, C₁ is limited to p, t, k, s, or x.
If C₂ is j or w, C₁ can be any non-vocoid consonant.
If either C₂ or C₃ is j or w, V is limited to ɛ, ɔ, or a; otherwise, any vowel is possible.
If C₃ is absent, C₄ can be any consonant except j or w.
If C₃ is j or w, C₄ is limited to any obstruent.
If C₃ is l or a (homorganic) nasal, C₄ is limited to p, t, or k.

Protolanguage Stress

The protolanguage stress is on ?

Sound Changes

At all stages, coda nasals tend to assimilate to the following non-glottal onsets.

1. i > j

2. tj, dj, sj, xj, nj > t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, ʃ, ç, ɲ

tw & kw, dw, sw & xw > kʷ, gʷ, ɸ

w > 0 / (p, m) __

3. ɛj, aj, ɔj > eː, ai, iː

ɛw, aw, ɔw > au, ɑː, oː

4. u, ɔ, a > i, o, ɑ

5. tl, sl, xl > t͡ɬ, ɬ, xɾ

6. l > ɾ / __ (j, w)

l > ɾ / V __ V

7. j > i / __ (C, #)


1.	i	>	j
2.	tj, dj, sj, xj, nj	>	t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, ʃ, ç, ɲ
	tw & kw, dw, sw & xw	>	kʷ, gʷ, ɸ
	w	>	0	/	(`p, m`) __
3.	ɛj, aj, ɔj	>	eː, ai, iː
	ɛw, aw, ɔw	>	au, ɑː, oː
4.	u, ɔ, a	>	i, o, ɑ
5.	tl, sl, xl	>	t͡ɬ, ɬ, xɾ
6.	l	>	ɾ	/	__ (`j, w`)
	l	>	ɾ	/	V __ V
7.	j	>	i	/	__ (C, #)

Morphosyntax

At the earliest pre-stage, sequential root constructions may be used, with the final verb inflected (using suffixes). The final verbs then become limited to a small set of auxiliaries, each of which specifies some combination of action type, transitivity, and animacy. The action types are static (S), habitual (H), telic (T), and other dynamic (D), so there are 16 combinations. I'd like to come up with at least one verb for each combination (I'm using U for intransitive and V for transitive, so SUI is static intransitive inanimate).

This produces suppletive pairs of animate (A) and inanimate (I). Pairs with respect to transitivity are also produced, with the auxiliary being replaced in order to change the transitivity, animacy, and/or action type. Now, we effectively have inflection for voice and aspect as well as for animacy (S becomes stative or perfect, depending on the preceding root, T becomes aoristic, and D becomes progressive or prospective).

At some point (probably before the sound changes listed above), the sequence has become a single word, with at least one root preceding the inflected part. A pronominal prefix may also be added, with any nominative-accusative or absolutive-ergative distinction being lost.

Finally, the active-passive alternation becomes a direct-inverse one, using a rule which prohibits forms which don't conform to the hierarchy (basically 2 > 1 > 3).

page started: 2017.Mar.05 Sun
current date: 2017.Mar.12 Sun
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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