User:Chrysophylax/Reconstructing Proto-Tenarian: Difference between revisions

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Proto-Tenarian is a hypothetical reconstructed language from which the Elasian, Valian and Lillian languages derive.
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 [[w:IPA|IPA]] but uses the following system (''TPA'') which only marginally differs from the IPA. The primary differences are noted here.
{| class=wikitable
|-
! 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 thus been excluded from the table below.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vowels
! rowspan=2|
! colspan=2| [[w:Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan=2| [[w:Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!<small>[[w:Unrounded vowel|Unrounded]]</small>
!<small>[[w:Rounded vowel|Rounded]]</small>
!<small>[[w:Unrounded vowel|Unrounded]]</small>
!<small>[[w:Rounded vowel|Rounded]]</small>
|- align=center
! [[w:Close vowel|Close]]
| i
| ü
|
| u
|- align=center
! [[w:Mid vowel|Mid]]
| e
| ö
|
| o
|- align=center
! [[w:Open vowel|Open]]
| ä a<sup>1</sup>
|
| a
|
|}
 
:<sup>1</sup> As the phonetic value of ''a'' has yet to be determined with certainty it is here included in both front and back vowels.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Proto-Tenarian || Valian || Elasian || Lillian
|-
| '''*a''' || a || a, o || o, oi<sup>1</sup>
|-
| '''*aʔ'''|| aa || ah, oh<sup>2</sup> || oo
|-
| '''*ä''' || ä || e || ä, e
|-
| '''*e''' || e, ea<sup>3</sup> || e || i
|-
| '''*eʔ''' || ee || eh || e
|-
| '''*i''' || i, e || i, e<sup>4</sup> || i, e<sup>5</sup>
|-
| '''*iʔ''' || ii || ih || e
|-
| '''*o''' || o || o || o, ?
|-
| '''*oʔ''' || oo || oh || oo
|-
| '''*u''' || u || u || ɒ
|-
| '''*uʔ''' || uu || uh || ʊ
|-
| '''*ü''' || ü || u || ʉ
|-
| '''*üʔ''' || üü || uh || ʉə
|}
:* 1: Before velar and uvular consonants in Lillian, e.g ''pid'''oi'''g''
:* 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 the next syllable contains ''a'', e.g. ''pead'' < *pétaqi
:* 4: Only changes in the last syllable in Elasian, elsewhere ''i''.
:* 5. Lillian has changed the unstressed Proto-Tenarian ''i'' into a ''e'' in polysyllabic contexts, e.g. ''tooneg'' < earlier *taanigo < Proto-Tenarian *taʔnikos
 
===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). 
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 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
|-
| '''*β''' ||| v || p || ø~h
|-
| '''*ʔ''' || lengthens preceding vowel || h || causes gemination of nearby consonants (not sonorants) and lengthening of the preceding vowel
|-
| '''*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
|}
 
==Morphology==
Proto-Tenarian was a case-inflecting SOV language, with at least six cases, similar to [[Elasian]]. There were three numbers, singular, dual, and plural (as preserved somewhat in [[Valian]]). Proto-Tenarian appears to have been a nominative-accusative language.
 
The cases were:
* [[w:nominative|nominative]] -t, -ś(?), -ø (no suffix)
* [[w:genitive|genitive]] -a
* [[w:accusative|accusative]] -n(s)
* [[w:dative|dative]] -aʔiC
* [[w:instrumental|instrumental]] -äm(mi)
* [[w:locative|locative]] -(a)ʔi
 
The numbers were:
* [[w:singular|singular]] (no suffix)
* [[w:dual|dual]] -itü
* [[w:plural|plural]] -ini
 
==Vocabulary==
So far, a very limited set of words have been shown to be related between the languages.
{|
! Proto-Tenarian || Valian || Elasian || Lillian || English <sup>1</sup>
|-
| '''*tie''' || tee || te || tje || I
|-
| '''*kie''' || kee || ke || kje || you (sing.)
|-
| '''*nie''' || nee || ne || nje || he, she, it
|-
| '''*kaʔlʲaśa''' || kaalas || kályaz || kooljokj || celebration
|-
| '''*aʔra''' || aars || -ár || oor || great, big
|-
| '''*śajan''' || saya || szaj || kjojog  || badger
|-
| '''*mer''' || meri || meret || biź || sound
|-
| '''*śilima''' || silma || szilin || kjiljen || star
|-
| '''*taʔnikos''' || taankos || tónisz || tooneg || reindeer
|-
| '''*βaqa''' || vaag || paka || oig || tent, hut
|-
| '''*täʔ(s)''' || tää || tés || tee || snow
|-
| '''*uqu''' || uku || usz || ögö || one
|-
| '''*kekta''' || kehta || kesz || kidoig<sup>2</sup> || two
|}
: (Orthographic notes: <é á ó í> = /eh/ /ah/ /oh/ /ih/ /uh/ , <sz> = /t͡s/, <z> = /d͡z/ for Elasian entries, <y> = /j/ for Valian, <ź> = /ʐ/, <kj> = /ɕ/, /lj/ = ʎ/ and <ö> = /ɒ/ for Lillian.)
 
:* 1. This is a list of cognates, which share the same origin but not necessarily the same meaning. All definitions given in English are assumed to be as closest as possible to the original Proto-Tenarian meaning.
:* 2. Presumably from a form '''''*ketǎka''''' < *'''''kekta''''', which must be a Lillian innovation as both Elasian and Valian point to a consonant cluster (cf. El. ''kesz'' (ket͡s) < '''''**ketska''''' and Val. ''kehta'', where -ht- is a regular development from -kt-)
 
==Sample text==
{| class="wikitable"
! Proto-Tenarian  (Parras) !! IPA || English
|-
| '''śilmajaʔämmini əqwi wetnini tie raśnas ilmatie''' || /t͡silmai̯ɑʔæmːini əqʷi u̯etnini tʲe rat͡snas ilmatʲe/ || With the lights of the stars as my guides I go to the river
|-
| '''eʔi tie βaqaʔi täʔsi kaʔlʲaśaʔiC śajana uqu taʔnikon aʔran βaktatie''' || /eʔi tʲe βɑqɑʔi tæʔsi kɑlʲat͡sɑʔiC t͡sai̯ana uqu tɑʔnikon ɑʔran βɑktatʲe/ || here I wash one large reindeer by the snowy hut for the celebration of the badger.
|-
|}
 
The value of ś is assumed to be one of /t͡s/, /tʲ/ or /kʲ/ — it could be either of these. Parras assumes in his 2011 reconstruction that  '''/ś/''' corresponds to [t͡s] and views /a/ as alternating between a back [ɑ] and a front vowel [a] depending on environment.

Latest revision as of 00:18, 1 November 2013

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 thus been excluded from the table below.

Vowels
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 oo
*ä ä e ä, e
*e e, ea3 e i
*eʔ ee eh e
*i i, e i, e4 i, e5
*iʔ ii ih e
*o o o o, ?
*oʔ oo oh oo
*u u u ɒ
*uʔ uu uh ʊ
*ü ü u ʉ
*üʔ üü uh ʉə
  • 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 the next syllable contains a, e.g. pead < *pétaqi
  • 4: Only changes in the last syllable in Elasian, elsewhere i.
  • 5. Lillian has changed the unstressed Proto-Tenarian i into a e in polysyllabic contexts, e.g. tooneg < earlier *taanigo < Proto-Tenarian *taʔnikos

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
*β v p ø~h
*ʔ lengthens preceding vowel h causes gemination of nearby consonants (not sonorants) and lengthening of the preceding vowel
*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

Morphology

Proto-Tenarian was a case-inflecting SOV language, with at least six cases, similar to Elasian. There were three numbers, singular, dual, and plural (as preserved somewhat in Valian). Proto-Tenarian appears to have been a nominative-accusative language.

The cases were:

The numbers were:

Vocabulary

So far, a very limited set of words have been shown to be related between the languages.

Proto-Tenarian Valian Elasian Lillian English 1
*tie tee te tje I
*kie kee ke kje you (sing.)
*nie nee ne nje he, she, it
*kaʔlʲaśa kaalas kályaz kooljokj celebration
*aʔra aars -ár oor great, big
*śajan saya szaj kjojog badger
*mer meri meret biź sound
*śilima silma szilin kjiljen star
*taʔnikos taankos tónisz tooneg reindeer
*βaqa vaag paka oig tent, hut
*täʔ(s) tää tés tee snow
*uqu uku usz ögö one
*kekta kehta kesz kidoig2 two
(Orthographic notes: <é á ó í> = /eh/ /ah/ /oh/ /ih/ /uh/ , <sz> = /t͡s/, <z> = /d͡z/ for Elasian entries, <y> = /j/ for Valian, <ź> = /ʐ/, <kj> = /ɕ/, /lj/ = ʎ/ and <ö> = /ɒ/ for Lillian.)
  • 1. This is a list of cognates, which share the same origin but not necessarily the same meaning. All definitions given in English are assumed to be as closest as possible to the original Proto-Tenarian meaning.
  • 2. Presumably from a form *ketǎka < *kekta, which must be a Lillian innovation as both Elasian and Valian point to a consonant cluster (cf. El. kesz (ket͡s) < **ketska and Val. kehta, where -ht- is a regular development from -kt-)

Sample text

Proto-Tenarian (Parras) IPA English
śilmajaʔämmini əqwi wetnini tie raśnas ilmatie /t͡silmai̯ɑʔæmːini əqʷi u̯etnini tʲe rat͡snas ilmatʲe/ With the lights of the stars as my guides I go to the river
eʔi tie βaqaʔi täʔsi kaʔlʲaśaʔiC śajana uqu taʔnikon aʔran βaktatie /eʔi tʲe βɑqɑʔi tæʔsi kɑlʲat͡sɑʔiC t͡sai̯ana uqu tɑʔnikon ɑʔran βɑktatʲe/ here I wash one large reindeer by the snowy hut for the celebration of the badger.

The value of ś is assumed to be one of /t͡s/, /tʲ/ or /kʲ/ — it could be either of these. Parras assumes in his 2011 reconstruction that /ś/ corresponds to [t͡s] and views /a/ as alternating between a back [ɑ] and a front vowel [a] depending on environment.

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