Eta-Talmic: Difference between revisions

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[[Proto-Talsmic/Themsarian|Themsárimai: '''Gávthens tálsmimens''']]
[[Proto-Talmic/Themsarian|Themsárimai: '''Gávthens tálsmimens''']]


The '''Talsmic''' languages are a relatively isolated subbranch of the [[Gamedan languages|Gamedan]] language family. They are descended from '''Proto-Talsmic''' ('''PT''' or '''PTal''').
The '''Talmic''' languages are a relatively isolated subbranch of the [[Gamedan languages|Gamedan]] language family. They are descended from '''Proto-Talmic''' ('''PT''' or '''PTal''').
==Phylogeny==
==Phylogeny==
{{clade
{{clade
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     |4=Arabic dialect-ish
     |4=Arabic dialect-ish
       }}
       }}
     |label2=[[T-Talsmic languages]]
     |label2=[[T-Talmic languages]]
     |2={{clade
     |2={{clade
     |1=[[Andarin]]
     |1=[[Andarin]]
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==Characteristics==
==Characteristics==
The historical Talsmic languages have all shared the following characteristics to some extent:
The historical Talmic languages have all shared the following characteristics to some extent:
*conversion of a former case system into a system of state distinctions (e.g. definiteness, possessedness, predicative/attributive, generic/specific)
*conversion of a former case system into a system of state distinctions (e.g. definiteness, possessedness, predicative/attributive, generic/specific)
*rigidly head-initial word order
*rigidly head-initial word order
**verb-initial clauses; modern Talsmic languages are topic-prominent and thus have V2 independent clauses and verb-initial dependent clauses.
**verb-initial clauses; modern Talmic languages are topic-prominent and thus have V2 independent clauses and verb-initial dependent clauses.
*heavy grammatical use of pronominal suffixes/enclitics on possessed nouns, verbs and prepositions, that index their dependents
*heavy grammatical use of pronominal suffixes/enclitics on possessed nouns, verbs and prepositions, that index their dependents
**some descendants eventually creep toward being polysynthetic, supplanting former finite verbs with possessed infinitives/participles of complex compound verbs, and predicative nouns
**some descendants eventually creep toward being polysynthetic, supplanting former finite verbs with possessed infinitives/participles of complex compound verbs, and predicative nouns
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*grammatical apophony (tonal, vocalic or consonantal)
*grammatical apophony (tonal, vocalic or consonantal)
*word order changes for topicalization and focusing
*word order changes for topicalization and focusing
*More recent Talsmic languages have honorific systems developed from abstract nouns in the feminine gender. Therefore former feminine pronouns and verbs develop into honorific markers.
*More recent Talmic languages have honorific systems developed from abstract nouns in the feminine gender. Therefore former feminine pronouns and verbs develop into honorific markers.


Characteristic phylogenetic innovations vis-à-vis Zachydic include:
Characteristic phylogenetic innovations vis-à-vis Zachydic include:
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*Conflation of non-labialized and labialized dorsal stops, and preservation of the velar-uvular distinction.
*Conflation of non-labialized and labialized dorsal stops, and preservation of the velar-uvular distinction.
**Also common is the transition of the uvular series into the radical series; uvulars are still found in some phonetically conservative languages and dialects, however.
**Also common is the transition of the uvular series into the radical series; uvulars are still found in some phonetically conservative languages and dialects, however.
*The shift of ''*s'' into ''*h'' and subsequent assibilation of affricates occuring after primary rhotacization (/*cʼ, *c/ > /*s/, /*ʒ/ > /*z/ etc.) greatly reduces the consonant inventory; this also contributes to the fricative-rich flavor of Talsmic.
*The shift of ''*s'' into ''*h'' and subsequent assibilation of affricates occuring after primary rhotacization (/*cʼ, *c/ > /*s/, /*ʒ/ > /*z/ etc.) greatly reduces the consonant inventory; this also contributes to the fricative-rich flavor of Talmic.
*Some metathesis occurred too.
*Some metathesis occurred too.


==Proto-Talsmic phonology==
==Proto-Talmic phonology==
*qʷ ɢʷ qʷ' > q ɢ q'
*qʷ ɢʷ qʷ' > q ɢ q'
*p' t' c' ƛ' k' kʷ' q' qʷ' > f þ s ł x xʷ χ χ
*p' t' c' ƛ' k' kʷ' q' qʷ' > f þ s ł x xʷ χ χ
Line 47: Line 47:
===Consonant inventory===
===Consonant inventory===
====Pyr Chlʰíse model====
====Pyr Chlʰíse model====
The following is the Proto-Talsmic consonant system as conjectured by Núrian Talsmicist Dazʰír pyr Chlʰíse: he surmised that Proto-Raxo-Talsmic ejective series had turned into an aspirated series in PTal, which has spirantized in daughter languages. This reconstruction is now considered obsolete.
The following is the Proto-Talmic consonant system as conjectured by Núrian Talmicist Dazʰír pyr Chlʰíse: he surmised that Proto-Raxo-Talmic ejective series had turned into an aspirated series in PTal, which has spirantized in daughter languages. This reconstruction is now considered obsolete.


{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="width: 700px; text-align:center;"
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="width: 700px; text-align:center;"
! colspan="10"|Proto-Talsmic reconstructed consonants (pyr Chlʰíse)
! colspan="10"|Proto-Talmic reconstructed consonants (pyr Chlʰíse)
|-
|-
! colspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |
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====Guànitzhùtł model====
====Guànitzhùtł model====
Xamùz Guànitzhùtł revised the pyr Chlʰíse model, positing that the ejective-to-spirant shift had occurred earlier (probably ejective plosives ~ ejective affricates > affricates > fricatives); she noted the inconsistency of evidence for aspirated stops at any stage of Talsmic languages.  
Xamùz Guànitzhùtł revised the pyr Chlʰíse model, positing that the ejective-to-spirant shift had occurred earlier (probably ejective plosives ~ ejective affricates > affricates > fricatives); she noted the inconsistency of evidence for aspirated stops at any stage of Talmic languages.  


{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="width: 700px; text-align:center;"
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="width: 700px; text-align:center;"
! colspan="10"|Proto-Talsmic reconstructed consonants (Guànitzhùtł)
! colspan="10"|Proto-Talmic reconstructed consonants (Guànitzhùtł)
|-
|-
! colspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |
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*āi ēi ōi āu ēu ōu
*āi ēi ōi āu ēu ōu


==Proto-Talsmic morphology==
==Proto-Talmic morphology==
===Nominal morphology===
===Nominal morphology===
Nouns and adjectives had retained from Proto-Zachydic 6 cases (nominative, accusative, genitive/prepositional, allative, ablative, locative/instrumental), 3 numbers, 2 genders (masculine, feminine), and additionally possessive inflection for nouns. Like its daughter languages as well as Proto-Zachydic, Common Talsmic is thought to have been a [[w:differential object marking|differential object marking]] language; only definite or specific direct objects were marked with the accusative case.
Nouns and adjectives had retained from Proto-Zachydic 6 cases (nominative, accusative, genitive/prepositional, allative, ablative, locative/instrumental), 3 numbers, 2 genders (masculine, feminine), and additionally possessive inflection for nouns. Like its daughter languages as well as Proto-Zachydic, Common Talmic is thought to have been a [[w:differential object marking|differential object marking]] language; only definite or specific direct objects were marked with the accusative case.


[Genitive is partitive > indefinite?]
[Genitive is partitive > indefinite?]
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===Pronominal morphology===
===Pronominal morphology===
Proto-Talsmic free pronouns can be reconstructed with less confidence because all case marking except as clitics and suffixes was eliminated.
Proto-Talmic free pronouns can be reconstructed with less confidence because all case marking except as clitics and suffixes was eliminated.
====Full personal pronouns====
====Full personal pronouns====


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===Verbal morphology===
===Verbal morphology===
====Tense====
====Tense====
The Proto-Talsmic verbal system has converted the pre-existing aspect-based perfective/imperfective dichotomy into a time-based one (past/non-past). The irregularity of the past system is probably a result of conflation of many different parent aspect systems.
The Proto-Talmic verbal system has converted the pre-existing aspect-based perfective/imperfective dichotomy into a time-based one (past/non-past). The irregularity of the past system is probably a result of conflation of many different parent aspect systems.
====Aspect====
====Aspect====
The following aspect suffixes can be reconstructed:  
The following aspect suffixes can be reconstructed:  
Line 351: Line 351:


====Mood====
====Mood====
Proto-Talsmic has kept many moods intact (imperative, desiderative, hortative, optative). The negative imperative used the prohibitive particle along with the hortative form, as in Proto-Zachydic. The moods are frequently collapsed by its progeny (e.g. jussive in Themsaran).
Proto-Talmic has kept many moods intact (imperative, desiderative, hortative, optative). The negative imperative used the prohibitive particle along with the hortative form, as in Proto-Zachydic. The moods are frequently collapsed by its progeny (e.g. jussive in Themsaran).


====Thematic suffixes====
====Thematic suffixes====
Proto-Talsmic saw the development of thematic vowels from derivational suffixes. Thematic vowels are found in many Talsmic languages, but modern languages often generalize the ''a''-paradigm to the expense of the others.
Proto-Talmic saw the development of thematic vowels from derivational suffixes. Thematic vowels are found in many Talmic languages, but modern languages often generalize the ''a''-paradigm to the expense of the others.
*''*-īn'': basic verbs
*''*-īn'': basic verbs
*''*-a-īn'': denominative or transitive verbs
*''*-a-īn'': denominative or transitive verbs
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*the memory evidential prefix ''*ʔṇʔ-''.
*the memory evidential prefix ''*ʔṇʔ-''.


==Proto-Talsmic syntax==
==Proto-Talmic syntax==
Basic word order was most likely SVO, as evinced by the order {{sc|verb-object suffix}} in all daughter languages.
Basic word order was most likely SVO, as evinced by the order {{sc|verb-object suffix}} in all daughter languages.


==Sound changes to Proto-Talsmic==
==Sound changes to Proto-Talmic==


==Sound changes from Proto-Talsmic==<!--
==Sound changes from Proto-Talmic==<!--
{| class="greentable lightgreenbg"
{| class="greentable lightgreenbg"
|-
|-
|+ '''Talsmic consonant correspondences'''
|+ '''Talmic consonant correspondences'''
! PTal||[[Themsaran|Thm]]||[[Low Themsaran|LThm]]||[[Tizian|Tiz]]||[[Snaħħian|Sn]]||[[Qelorian|Qel]]
! PTal||[[Themsaran|Thm]]||[[Low Themsaran|LThm]]||[[Tizian|Tiz]]||[[Snaħħian|Sn]]||[[Qelorian|Qel]]
|-
|-

Revision as of 19:52, 30 December 2015

Themsárimai: Gávthens tálsmimens

The Talmic languages are a relatively isolated subbranch of the Gamedan language family. They are descended from Proto-Talmic (PT or PTal).

Phylogeny

Noble Themsarian

Nurian



Qelorian (Italian analogue)



Bênôcian



Arabic dialect-ish



T-Talmic languages

Andarin




Characteristics

The historical Talmic languages have all shared the following characteristics to some extent:

  • conversion of a former case system into a system of state distinctions (e.g. definiteness, possessedness, predicative/attributive, generic/specific)
  • rigidly head-initial word order
    • verb-initial clauses; modern Talmic languages are topic-prominent and thus have V2 independent clauses and verb-initial dependent clauses.
  • heavy grammatical use of pronominal suffixes/enclitics on possessed nouns, verbs and prepositions, that index their dependents
    • some descendants eventually creep toward being polysynthetic, supplanting former finite verbs with possessed infinitives/participles of complex compound verbs, and predicative nouns
  • differential indexing of the direct object and the possessor, and occasionally the prepositional object
  • grammatical apophony (tonal, vocalic or consonantal)
  • word order changes for topicalization and focusing
  • More recent Talmic languages have honorific systems developed from abstract nouns in the feminine gender. Therefore former feminine pronouns and verbs develop into honorific markers.

Characteristic phylogenetic innovations vis-à-vis Zachydic include:

  • prominence of tense rather than aspect in verbal TAM, unlike in mainland Zachydic languages.
  • Rhotacization of /*z/ to /*r/ / V_V and V_#, and secondary rhotacization (often before consonants, the choice of which depends on the language).
  • Development of Proto-Zachydic ejective stops into spirants.
  • Conflation of non-labialized and labialized dorsal stops, and preservation of the velar-uvular distinction.
    • Also common is the transition of the uvular series into the radical series; uvulars are still found in some phonetically conservative languages and dialects, however.
  • The shift of *s into *h and subsequent assibilation of affricates occuring after primary rhotacization (/*cʼ, *c/ > /*s/, /*ʒ/ > /*z/ etc.) greatly reduces the consonant inventory; this also contributes to the fricative-rich flavor of Talmic.
  • Some metathesis occurred too.

Proto-Talmic phonology

  • qʷ ɢʷ qʷ' > q ɢ q'
  • p' t' c' ƛ' k' kʷ' q' qʷ' > f þ s ł x xʷ χ χ
  • s > h
  • c > s
  • ƛ > t
  • z > r / V_

Consonant inventory

Pyr Chlʰíse model

The following is the Proto-Talmic consonant system as conjectured by Núrian Talmicist Dazʰír pyr Chlʰíse: he surmised that Proto-Raxo-Talmic ejective series had turned into an aspirated series in PTal, which has spirantized in daughter languages. This reconstruction is now considered obsolete.

Proto-Talmic reconstructed consonants (pyr Chlʰíse)
Labial Alveolar Lateral Palatal Velar Labiovelar Uvular Glottal
Nasal *m *n
Plosive voiceless *p *t *ƛ *k *kʷ *q *ʔ
voiced *b *d *λ *g *gʷ
aspirated *pʰ *tʰ *ƛʰ *kʰ *kʷʰ *qʰ
Fricative voiceless *s *ł *h
voiced *z *ḽ *ʁ
Approximant *l *j *w
Trill *r

Guànitzhùtł model

Xamùz Guànitzhùtł revised the pyr Chlʰíse model, positing that the ejective-to-spirant shift had occurred earlier (probably ejective plosives ~ ejective affricates > affricates > fricatives); she noted the inconsistency of evidence for aspirated stops at any stage of Talmic languages.

Proto-Talmic reconstructed consonants (Guànitzhùtł)
Labial Alveolar Lateral Palatal Velar Labiovelar Uvular Glottal
Nasal *m *n
Plosive voiceless *p *t *k *kʷ *q *ʔ
voiced *b *d *g *gʷ
Fricative voiceless *φ *s, *θ *ł *x *xʷ *χ *h
voiced *z, *ð *ʁ
Approximant *l *j *w
Trill *r

Vocalic inventory

Front Central Back
Close *i *ī *u *ū
Mid *e *ē *o *ō
Open *a *ā

Diphthongs:

  • ai ei oi au eu ou
  • āi ēi ōi āu ēu ōu

Proto-Talmic morphology

Nominal morphology

Nouns and adjectives had retained from Proto-Zachydic 6 cases (nominative, accusative, genitive/prepositional, allative, ablative, locative/instrumental), 3 numbers, 2 genders (masculine, feminine), and additionally possessive inflection for nouns. Like its daughter languages as well as Proto-Zachydic, Common Talmic is thought to have been a differential object marking language; only definite or specific direct objects were marked with the accusative case.

[Genitive is partitive > indefinite?]

Declension
*çúma=ʔ 'air' *méisar 'segment'
Gender → Masculine Feminine
Case ↓ Singular Dual Plural Singular Dual Plural
Nominative *çúma *çúmōr *çúmū *méisar *méisoir *méisāne
Accusative *çúmeç *çúmōç *çúmūt *méisaç *méisoiç *méisina
Genitive/Prepositional *çúmu *çúmār *çúmakʰe *méiset *méisair *méis(in)ir
Ablative *çúmenʔ *méisanʔ
Allative ? ?
Instrumental *çúmīl *méisai

The essive case (*-ēri) was marginal, and was only used adverbially (cf. Th. -ēr adverbial suffix).

Some nouns took the "thematic" suffix/clitic *-ʔ with an uncertain meaning, a holdover from the classifier system in Proto-Zachydic.

Pronominal morphology

Proto-Talmic free pronouns can be reconstructed with less confidence because all case marking except as clitics and suffixes was eliminated.

Full personal pronouns

Possessive suffixes

Verbal morphology

Tense

The Proto-Talmic verbal system has converted the pre-existing aspect-based perfective/imperfective dichotomy into a time-based one (past/non-past). The irregularity of the past system is probably a result of conflation of many different parent aspect systems.

Aspect

The following aspect suffixes can be reconstructed:

  • prospective *-eh-
  • inceptive *-lʁa-
  • cessative *-mbe-

Mood

Proto-Talmic has kept many moods intact (imperative, desiderative, hortative, optative). The negative imperative used the prohibitive particle along with the hortative form, as in Proto-Zachydic. The moods are frequently collapsed by its progeny (e.g. jussive in Themsaran).

Thematic suffixes

Proto-Talmic saw the development of thematic vowels from derivational suffixes. Thematic vowels are found in many Talmic languages, but modern languages often generalize the a-paradigm to the expense of the others.

  • *-īn: basic verbs
  • *-a-īn: denominative or transitive verbs
  • *-e-īn: dynamic or reflexive verbs

TAM/subject affix paradigm

Todo: rederive past tense... they don't look like they could (all) be perfective suffixes.

Subject affixes
Present/Non-past
Singular Dual Plural
1.ex -īn -dir -mī
1.in - -ʁ-sē -n-sē
2 -r -r-sē -l-sē
3.m -m -iri- -ʁih
3.f -isi -tih
Simple past
Singular Dual Plural
1.ex -nʔe -sid -mā
1.in - -ʁʔā, -tar -nʔā, -taq
2 -rʔe -rʔā -lʔā
3.m -ā(-m) -ā-iri -ā-ʁih
3.f -ā-isi -ā-tih
Prospective
Singular Dual Plural
1.ex -eh-īn -eh-dir -eh-mī
1.in - -eh-ʁsē -eh-nsē
2 -eh-r -eh-rsē -eh-lsē
3.m -eh-m -eh-iri- -eh-ʁēj
3.f -eh-isi -eh-tēj
Imperative
Singular Dual Plural
1.in - -ʁsi -nsi
2 -h -rsi -lsi
Hortative
Singular Dual Plural
1.ex -īn-ti -dis-ti -mī-ti
1.in - -ʁs-ti -ns-ti
2 -ti -rs-ti -ls-ti
3.m -m-ti -iri-ti -ʁih-ti
3.f -isi-ti -tih-ti
Desiderative
Singular Dual Plural
1.ex -īn-ʔi -dir-ʔi -mī-ʔi
1.in - -ʁsē-ʔi -nsē-ʔi
2 -r-ʔi -rsē-ʔi -lsē-ʔi
3.m -m-ʔi -iri-ʔ -ʁih-ʔi
3.f -isi-ʔi -tih-ʔi
Optative
Singular Dual Plural
1.ex -īn-aʔ -dir-aʔ -mī-aʔ
1.in - -ʁs-aʔ -ns-aʔ
2 -r-aʔ -rs-aʔ -ls-aʔ
3.m -m-aʔ -ir-aʔ -ʁ-aʔ
3.f -is-aʔ -t-aʔ

Other verbal affixes

Other reconstructible affixes include:

  • *-pe- potential (e.g. Thm. tacvéi 'know (a fact)' < tak-pe-īn 'be able to say')
  • *-re- passive
  • *-ina- causative, i.e. supply sb with sth to [verb]/a patient of [verb]
  • *-ska- causative
  • *az-, "towards" directional prefix.
  • the memory evidential prefix *ʔṇʔ-.

Proto-Talmic syntax

Basic word order was most likely SVO, as evinced by the order verb-object suffix in all daughter languages.

Sound changes to Proto-Talmic

Sound changes from Proto-Talmic

Vocabulary

  • *az- telic
    • Thm. ar-/as-
      • Núr. ar- superlative, intensive; s- telic
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