User:Chrysophylax/Reconstructing Proto-Tenarian
Proto-Tenarian is the reconstructed language from which the Elasian, Valian and Lillian languages derive. It is named after the Tenarian mountain range where the Urheimat of the family is posited to have been located.
Phonology
Similar to other reconstructed languages, Proto-Tenarian is not written using the IPA but uses the following system (TPA) which only marginally differs from the IPA. The primary differences are noted here.
| Tenarian Phonetic Alphabet | IPA |
|---|---|
| a | a ~ ɑ |
| e | e ~ ɛ |
| i | i |
| o | o~ɔ |
| ü | y |
| ä | æ |
| ö | ø |
| ś | kʲ ~ tʲ ~ t͡s ~ t͡ʃ |
Furthermore, stress is marked by the acute accent.
Vowels
The Proto-Tenarian vowel system is reconstructed as having been very similar to the system encountered in Valian, but lacking length distinctions and ë, giving a total of 8 vowels. Furthermore, there is a hypothetical vowel ə which represents a short schwa-like sound, though this is not accepted by all and has not been included.
| Front | Back | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrounded | Rounded | Unrounded | Rounded | |
| Close | i | ü | u | |
| Mid | e | ö | o | |
| Open | ä a1 | a | ||
- 1 As the phonetic value of a has yet to be determined with certainty it is here included in both front and back vowels.
| Proto-Tenarian | Valian | Elasian | Lillian |
|---|---|---|---|
| *a | a | a, o | o, oi1 |
| *aʔ | aa | ah, oh2 | oː |
| *e | e, ea3 | e | i |
| *eʔ | ee | eh | e |
- 1: Before velar and uvular consonants in Lillian, e.g pidoig
- 2: Occurs in certain Elasian words such as szólim < *śalima, could be influenced by Lillian (cf. expected *szalim with Lillian kjoolin)
- 3: In trisyllabic words, Valian initial e breaks into ea when next syllable contains a, e.g. pead < *pétaqi
Consonants
Consonants in Proto-Tenarian have proven to be slightly more complicated to reconstruct. A possible chart of correspondences is given here based on Parras' Sën Välyaha, Lilaha sast Eelasyat talletin: turgasiin ää Prooto-Tenaha talle (2011).
| Proto-Tenarian | Valian | Elasian | Lillian |
|---|---|---|---|
| *p | p, v | p, b | p |
| *t | t, s | t, d, s | t, d |
| *k | k, h | k, g | k, g |
| *q | k | k | q, g |
| *ʔ | lengthens preceding vowel | h | causes gemination of nearby consonants |
| *ś | s, t (before velar stop) | t͡ʃ, d͡z | ɕ |
| *s | s | s | s, z, r |
| *r | r | r | ʐ |
| *l | l | l | ɫ, ʎ |
| *j | j, i | j, i | h, ʃ |
| *m | m | m | b, n |