Phonological history of Valthungian

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N.B.: This article uses a phonetic feature notation shorthand in which all described features are limited to three characters. Please refer to the legend here.

Changes from Griutungi & Gothic to Old Valthungian (ca. 300ᴀᴅ‒950ᴀᴅ)

Spirantisation I

This is an expansion (or possibly merely a clarification) of the persistent inherited Spirantisation rule present in Proto-Germanic. The Proto-Germanic rule (“Spirantisation 0”) holds that voiced stops become spirantised when intervocalic. It is unclear whether spirantisation also occurred in the presence of other sonorants in Proto-Germanic, Gothic, or Griutungi. This rule cements the expansion to include liquids in the environment.

300ᴀᴅ: Voiced Stops become Continuant
Type: Phonetic
Rule: C[-snt][+vox] → [+cnt] / V,L}___{V,L

“A voiced stop becomes continuant after a vowel or liquid when followed by a vowel or liquid.”

Exhaustive: b,d,g → β,ð,ɣ / V,r,l}___{V,r,l
Notes: Already occurred in pre-Gothic and even Proto-Germanic (“Spirantisation 0”), but may not have included liquids in the environment. Allophonic at this stage.
Examples:
  ‘to have’ ‘terrible’ ‘bed’ ‘wonder’ ‘days’ ‘nice’
PGmc: habaną
[haβanã]
abrō
[a{b/β}roː]
badją
[badją]
seldō
[sel{d/ð}oː]
dagōz
[daɣoːz]
fagrō
[ɸa{ɡ/ɣ}roː]
Goth: haban
[haβan]
abra
[a{b/β}ra]
badi
[baði]
silda
[sil{d/ð}a]
dagōs
[daɣoːs]
fagra
[ɸa{ɡ/ɣ}ra]
Griut: haban
[haβan]
abra
[a{b/β}ra]
badi
[baði]
silda
[sil{d/ð}a]
dagōs
[daɣoːs]
fagra
[ɸa{ɡ/ɣ}ra]
Spir.I: haban
[haβan]
abra
[aβra]
badi
[baði]
silda
[silða]
dagōs
[daɣoːs]
fagra
[ɸaɣra]
OldVal: habvan
[haβan]
abvra
[aβra]
badvi
[baði]
slidva
[sliða]
dagyous
[daɣoʊ̯s]
fagyra
[ɸaɣra]
MidVal: havɴ
[havn̩]
avʀ
[avr̩]
baði
[baði]
sliða
[sliðə]
dagos
[daɡos]
fagʀ
[faɡr̩]
Valth: havna
[havna]
avra
[avra]
baðe
[baðe̞]
sliða
[sliða]
dagas
[daɡas]
fagra
[faɡra]
Limit: 450ᴀᴅ
Persistence: Expanded into Spirantisation II
Phonemic Inventory: (unchanged)

Pre-Liquid Stop Insertion

Geminate Collapse I

Spirantisation II

Deletion of Interconsonantal h

Spirantisation III

Expansion of [fl]→[θl], [hL]

Consonant Cluster Voice Changes I

Clisis & Lexicalisation

Consonant Cluster Voice Changes II

Changes to Geminate Obstruents

Changes to Geminate Nasals I

Changes to Geminate Liquids

Metathesis

Deletion of s after r

s-Clusters Diffused

Lengthening of Word-Final Stressed Vowels

Reversal of High Diphthong Altitude Trajectory

Umlaut

Launch of Rhotacism

Changes of /j/ to /ʝ/

Long Mid Vowel Diphthongisation I

Expansion of East Germanic Verschärfung

Deletion of Final Unstressed [a]

Changes from Old Valthungian to Middle Valthungian (ca. 950ᴀᴅ‒1350ᴀᴅ)

Defenestration of Greek Fricatives

Changes to Geminate Nasals II

Deletion of word-initial prenasalised stops

Rhotacism Failure

j/z Merger

Initial h to þ before a sonorant

Assimilation of h after short vowels

Repulsion of h after long vowels

All of the Above

Changes to Geminates

Change of h to þ after a liquid

Assimilation of s in Consonant Clusters

Palatalisation of sk

Palatalisation of h before j

Palatalisation of Non-Labial Stops before j

Vowel Reduction: Long Vowel Shortening

Vowel Reduction: Diphthong Changes

Vowel Reduction: Schwa Changes

Vowel Reduction: Syllabic Sonorants

Changes from Middle Valthungian to Modern Valthungian (ca. 1350ᴀᴅ‒1850ᴀᴅ)

Reduction of Consonant Clusters

Vowel Reduction II: Lowering of Unstressed Short Vowels

Vowel Reduction II: Shortening of Unstressed Long Vowels

Change of ju to eu after r

Changes to Unstressed Word-Final Syllables

Deletion of j and Merging of Palatal Afficates

Vowel Tensing

Syllabic Unpacking

Schwa Fortition to /a/

Syllabification of word-final falling diphthongs

Monophthongisation of Diphthongs over Morpheme Boundaries

Relaxisation of Middle Diphthongs

Changes from Early Modern Valthungian to the present

Labial Trimming

Deletion of Internasal g

Changes to w