Middle Valthungian

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Middle Valthungian
Sô Grêjutungisjko Rasta
Pronunciation[səʊ̯ ˈɡrəi̯juˌtuŋ.ɡiʂko̞ ˈrɑs.tə]
Created byBenJamin P. Johnson,

creator of:

curator of:

Date2018
SettingEurope, ca. 1200ᴀᴅ‒1600ᴀᴅ
Indo-European
  • Germanic
    • East Germanic
      • Middle Valthungian


Middle Valthungian represents a period in the development of Valthungian lasting from around 1200‒1600ᴀᴅ marked mainly by palatalization of a great many consonants as well as some minor reduction to unstressed vowels. Though this is a range which experienced many changes, the most representative example of “Middle Valthungian” is the language as captured by the suddenly-prolific Valthungian writers at the beginning of the Renaissance, circa 1450‒1500 a.d.

Major Changes from Old Valthungian Middle Valthungian

Defenestration of Greek Fricatives

By approximately 1250 or possibly earlier, spirantized b [β] had come to be realized as [v], and its unvoiced counterpart, f, which may have been realized as [ɸ] in Proto-Germanic, Gothic, Griutungi, and possibly Old Valthungian, became definitively realized as [f]. Meanwhile the previously spirantized g [ɣ] had reverted to its non-continuant form and merged with [ɡ]. According to a document recently discovered in an attic in Padua, shortly after these changes were complete, the now-useless Greek letters were gathered up and cast out of a high window into the Piave by an angry Bishop who had spent most of his career decrying the evils of feta.

  β v
  ɸ f
  ɣ ɡ

Vowel Tensing

ʏ → y (merges with /y/)
ɪ → i
ɛ → e̞, ɛː → e̞ː
œ → ø̞, œː → ø̞ː
ɔ → o̞, ɔː → o̞ː
ʊ → u

Metathesis

Vr → rV / _C

  • Does not apply / Cw_

Rhotacism Fail

ʝ → ʑ (merges with [ʑ] from /z/)
/ʑ/ goes on to stubbornly not become /r/.

Elimination of Non-Word-Initial /h/

Deletion of Interconsonantal /h/

Changes of /h/ to /θ/

Changes of /h/ to /f/

Compensatory Lengthening

Further Changes of /h/ to /θ/

Assimilation of /s/ in Consonant Clusters

Palatalization

Palatalization of /sk/ after Front Vowels

Change of /hj/ to /šj/

Palatalization of Non-Labial Stop Consonants before /j/

Vowel Reduction

Major Changes from Middle Valthungian to Valthungian

Vowel Reduction

Deletion of Word-Final /a/

Lowering of Unstressed Short Vowels

Shortening of Unstressed Long Vowels

Changes to Unstressed Word-Final Syllables

Un-Tensing of Front Middle Diphthongs

Raising of Middle Diphthongs

Syllabic Unpacking

Affrication and Merging of Palatals & Deletion of /j/

Deletion of /b/ and /f/ after /m/

Vocalization of /w/