Modern Phrygian

Modern Phrygian (Native: βρουζ̌ικιά /vɾuʒiˈɟa/) is a modern variety of the Phrygian language.

Modern Phrygian
τα βρουζ̌ικιά ξ̌ώσσα
Pronunciation[ta vɾuʒiˈɟ̊a ˈkʃosa]
Created byShariifka

Introduction

Etymology

Modern Phrygian βρουζ̌ικιά vružigʲá < Ancient Phrygian βρυγικά brugikā́ (cognate with Ancient Greek φρυγική pʰrygikḗ).

Features

  • PIE aspirated stops became plain voiced stops.
  • PIE voiced stops were devoiced in some conditions and preserved as voiced in others.
  • PIE voiceless stops were mostly preserved, but were aspirated in some conditions.
  • Like Greek, voiced and aspirated stops were later fricatized.
  • Initial w- preserved (as v-) except before o.
    • New w also became v, or f after voiceless consonants (e.g. βαίνα véna "hyena" < ουαίνα wéna < ύαινα (h)úaina; τφω tfo "two" < τουω two < τύω túō).
  • nt > nn
  • Early palatalization of velars before front vowels to alveolar fricatives.
  • All labiovelars became plain velars.
  • Second palatalization of velars before front vowels to postalveolars.
  • Third palatalization of velars adjacent to front vowels to palatals.
  • In obstruent clusters (except for s + consonant), the second consonant becomes a fricative.
    • Earlier /ʝ/ and /ç/ (from fricatization of original /i, e/ before other vowels) behaves as an obstruent in this situation, causing a preceding fricative to become a stop. They also become postalveolar after dental stops.
    • This also applies to /f/ and /v/ from fricatization of original /u/ before a vowel.
  • Assimilation of s to following consonant in consonant clusters (except word-initially, where metathesis occurs instead).
    • /ç/ (from fricatization of original /i, e/ after /s/ before other vowels) behaves as an obstruent in this situation, becoming a stop /c/. /sc/ then assimilates to /c/ intervocalically, while metathesizing to /kʃ/ initially.
    • /f/ (from fricatization of original /u/ in the above positions) similarly becomes a stop /p/, which merges with /s/ intervocalically and metathesizes to /ps/ initially.
  • Intervicalic partial voicing of non-geminated voiceless stops.
  • Voicing of voiceless stops after nasals
  • Loss of phonemic gemination, but traces preserved.
    • Lack of intervocalic voicing of original geminated stops.
    • Final -n > nasalization, but -nn > -n

Phonology

Orthography

Note: In this section, all pronunciations are according to the standard dialect unless otherwise specified.

Greek orthography

Alphabet
Letter Name IPA
Α α άλφα [ˈalfa]
Β β βέτα [ˈved̥a]
Γ γ γάμμα [ˈɣama]
Δ δ δέλτα [ˈðelda]
Ε ε έμανου [ˈemanu]
Ζ ζ ζέτα [ˈzed̥a]
Ζ̌ ζ̌ ζ̌έτα [ˈʒed̥a]
Η η έτα [ˈed̥a]
Θ θ θέτα [ˈθed̥a]
Ι ι γιώτα [ˈʝod̥a]
Letter Name IPA
Κ κ κάππα [ˈkapa]
Λ λ λάμπδα [ˈlambða]
Μ μ μου [mu]
Ν ν νου [nu]
Ξ ξ ξι [ksi]
Ξ̌ ξ̌ ξ̌ι [kʃi]
Ο ο όμανου [ˈomanu]
Π π πι [pi]
Ρ ρ ρο [ro]
Σ σ ς σίγμα [ˈsiŋma]
Letter Name IPA
Σ̌ σ̌ ς̌ σ̌ίγμα [ˈʃiŋma]
Τ τ ταυ [taf]
Υ υ ούψιλο [ˈupsilο]
Φ φ φι [fi]
Χ χ χι [çi]
Ψ ψ ψι [psi]
Ψ̌ ψ̌ ψ̌ι [pʃi]
Ω ω ωμέκα [oˈmeɡ̊a]

The letters with carons ⟨σ̌, ζ̌, ξ̌, ψ̌⟩ can alternatively be written as multigraphs.

With caron As multigraph
before front vowel before back vowel word-finally or before consonant
σ̌ σχ σχι σχ
ζ̌ ζγ ζγι ζγ
ξ̌ ξχ ξχι ξχ
ψ̌ ψχ ψχι ψχ
Consonants
Consonants
Letter Context IPA Examples Remarks
β everywhere [v] βεχ [vex] "six"
γ before front vowels ([e] or [i]). [ʝ] γεν [ʝen] "yen"
before velar consonants ([ɡ] or [x]) or nasal consonants ([m] or [n]) [ŋ] μάγκο [ˈmaŋgo] "mango"; αγνός [aŋˈnos] "pure, chaste" This occurs when the following consonant is ⟨ξ⟩, ⟨ξ̌⟩, non-palatalized ⟨κ⟩ or ⟨χ⟩, ⟨μ⟩, or ⟨ν⟩.
before palatal consonants ([ɟ] or [ç]) [ɲ] αγκινάρα [aɲɟiˈnara] "artichoke" This occurs when the following consonant is palatalized ⟨κ⟩ or ⟨χ⟩.
everywhere else [ɣ] γαλκός [ɣalˈɡos] "copper"
γγ before front vowel [ɲ] άγγελος [ˈaɲelos] "angel"
elsewhere [ŋ] άγγουρο [ˈaŋuro] "cucumber"
γι before vowels [ʝ] μαγιά [maˈʝa] "yeast"
γγι before vowels [ɲ] πάρκκιγγιους [ˈparciɲus] "parking (gen.)"
δ everywhere [ð] δούρα [ˈðura] "door"
ζ everywhere [z] ζεμελός [zemeˈlos] "man"
ζ̌ everywhere [ʒ] βρουζ̌ικιά [vruʒiˈɟ̊a] "Phrygian"
θ everywhere [θ] έθνος [ˈeθnos] "ethnic group"
ι preceded by ⟨μ⟩ and followed by a vowel [ɲ] μια [mɲa] "one (f.)"
preceded by an unvoiced consonant other than ⟨κ⟩ or ⟨χ⟩ and followed by a vowel [ç] ιμάτιο [iˈmatço] "cloak" [tç] and [sç] may instead be pronounced [tʃ] and [ʃ] respectively.
preceded by a voiced consonant other than ⟨γ⟩, ⟨λ⟩, ⟨μ⟩, or ⟨ν⟩ and followed by a vowel [ʝ] τρια [trʝa] "three (n.)" [dʝ] and [zʝ] may instead be pronounced [dʒ] and [ʒ] respectively.
κ after vowel or liquid and before front vowel ([e] or [i]). [ɟ̊] κακοί [kaˈɟ̊i] "bad, harmful (pl.)"
after vowel or liquid otherwise [ɡ̊] κακός [kaˈɡ̊os] "bad, harmful"
after nasal before front vowel [ɟ] αγκινάρα [aɲɟiˈnara] "artichoke"
after nasal otherwise [ɡ] μάγκο [ˈmaŋɡo] "mango"
before voiced obstruent [ɡ] ίκδις [ˈiɡðis] "mortar"
otherwise before front vowel [c] κιττάπ [ciˈtab̥] "book"
everywhere else [k] κακός [kaˈɡ̊os] "bad, harmful"
κκ before front vowel [c] δίκκοι [ˈðici] "discs"
otherwise [k] Μάκκα [ˈmaka] "Makkah"
κι after vowel or liquid and before a vowel [ɟ̊] βρουζ̌ικιά [vruʒiˈɟ̊a] "Phrygian"
after nasal before a vowel [ɟ] άγκιο [ˈaɲɟo] "cup"
otherwise before a vowel [c] κιουριακό [curʝaˈɡ̊o] "mosque"
κκι before a vowel [c] ίκκιο [ˈico] "horse"
λ(λ) everywhere [l] άλφα [ˈalfa] "alpha"
λ(λ)ι before a vowel [ʎ] ζέλλια [ˈzeʎa] "thousand"
μ(μ) everywhere [m] ζεμελός [zemeˈlos] "man"
ν non-final [n] όνομαν [ˈonomã] "name"
final [-̃, ɰ̃] όνομαν [ˈonomã] "name" Nasalizes the preceding vowel.
νν everywhere [n] μάννα [ˈmana] "manna"
ν(ν)ι before a vowel [ɲ] χαλαππένιο [xalaˈpeɲo] "jalapeño"
ξ everywhere [ks] ξούλο [ˈksulo] "tree"
ξ̌ everywhere [kʃ] ξ̌έκκια [ˈeca] "larger mosque where Friday prayer is established (جامع)"
ου word-initial before a vowel or between vowels [w] ουαλικιά [waliˈɟ̊a] "Welsh (language)"
π after vowel or liquid [b̥] κιττάπ [ciˈta] "book"
after nasal [b] κάμπα [ˈkamba] "worm"
before voiced obstruent [b] επδαμάς [ebðaˈmas] "week"
otherwise [p] πρώτος [ˈprod̥os] "first"
ππ everywhere [p] κάππαρις [ˈkaparis] "caper"
ρ(ρ) everywhere [r ~ ɾ] κάππαρις [ˈkaparis] "caper" In free variation.
σ(σ) everywhere [s] τος [tos] "the (m. nom. sg.)"
τ after vowel or liquid [d̥] πρώτος [ˈproos] "first"
after nasal [d] άντρας [ˈandras] "(adult) man"
otherwise [t] τος [tos] "the"
ττ everywhere [t] άττα [ˈata] "father"
τσ everywhere [ts] πίτσα [ˈpitsa] "pizza"
τσ̌ everywhere [tʃ] τσ̌έττερες [ˈeteres] "four"
τζ [dz] τζαντζάρα [dzanˈdzara] "mosquito"
τζ̌ [dʒ] άντζ̌αρος [ˈanaros] "messenger"
υ after ⟨α⟩, ⟨ε⟩, or ⟨η⟩ and before a nasal consonant [m] ενευνάνα [enemˈnana] "ninety"
after ⟨α⟩, ⟨ε⟩, or ⟨η⟩ and word-final or before a voiceless consonant [f] ταυ [taf] "tau"
after ⟨α⟩, ⟨ε⟩, or ⟨η⟩ otherwise [v] μεύος [ˈmevos] "mine"
φ everywhere [f] φυσικά [fisiˈɡ̊a] "physics"
χ before front vowel [ç] χεμικιός [çemiˈɟ̊os] "chemist"
otherwise [x] χάλβα [ˈxalva] "halwa"
χι before vowel [ç] χιούμορ [ˈçumor] "humour"
ψ everywhere [ps] ψουγά [psuˈɣa] "mind"
ψ̌ everywhere [pʃ] ψ̌έμαν [ˈemã] "soul"
Vowels
Monophthong Vowels
Letter IPA Examples Remarks
α [a] Actually closer to [ä].
ε [e] Actually closer to [e̞].
αι
ι [i]
η In older texts, instead represents [e] - e.g. τρης [tres] (modern τρες) "three".
υ In older texts, instead represents [u] - e.g. κύγνος (modern κούγνος) /ˈkuŋnos/ "swan".
ει
οι
υι
ο [o] Actually closer to [o̞].
ω
ου [u]
Diphthongs and hiatus

Diphthongs are formed by following a non-high vowel with a high vowel.

The following diphthongs are possible:

Diphthongs
offglide→
nucleus↓
ι /i/ η /i/ υ /i/ ου /u/
α /a/ αϊ (άι) αη αϋ (άυ) αου
ε /e/ εϊ (έι) εη εϋ (έυ) εου
ο /o/ οϊ (όι) οη οϋ (όυ) οου
ω /o/ ωι ωη ωυ ωου

When two adjacent vowels that normally form a digraph are in hiatus or form a diphthong, this is indicated with a diaresis on the second vowel, which is invariably ⟨ι⟩ or ⟨υ⟩.

A diaresis is not used if the first vowel has an accent, since that precludes the possibility of it being a digraph.

A diaresis can also be used on unaccented ⟨ι⟩ before other vowels when it would otherwise be pronounced as a glide. This can also be done with initial ⟨ου⟩ (which is written ⟨ο̈υ⟩), but this is rare.

Stress

Primary stress is always indicated in multisyllabic words via an acute accent.

When a syllable with a false diphthong (i.e. αι, ει, οι, υι, αυ, ευ, ηυ) is stressed, the accent is always written on the second vowel letter.

When a syllable with a true diphthong is stressed, the accent is written on the nucleus of the diphthong (i.e. the first vowel letter).

Consonants

Stop and affricate consonants

The following consonant sets exist:

Set Unvoiced 1 Unvoiced 2 Voiced 1 Voiced 2
Bilabial stops π¹ ππ π² π³
Dental stops τ¹ ττ τ² τ³
Alveolar affricates τσ¹ τσ² τζ² τζ³
Post-alveolar affricates τσ̌¹ τσ̌² τζ̌² τζ̌³
Palatal stops κ(ι)¹ κκ(ι) κ(ι)² κ(ι)³
Velar stops κ¹ κκ κ² κ³

Conditions:

¹ Word-initial.

² Between vowels; after liquids before vowels.

³ After nasals.

These sets are pronounced as follows:

Type 1 Standard dialect Alternate dialect
Voiceless 1 unvoiced (e.g. [t]) unvoiced (e.g. [t])
Voiceless 2 unvoiced (e.g. [t]) aspirated (e.g. [tʰ])
Voiced 1 partially voiced (e.g. [d̥]) unvoiced (e.g. [t])
Voiced 2 fully voiced (e.g. [d]) fully voiced (e.g. [d]) with weakening of preceding nasal

Notes:

  • "Voiced 1" is not considered a separate phoneme. In the standard dialect, it is considered the same phoneme as "voiced 2". In the alternate dialect, it is considered the same phoneme as "voiceless 1".
  • In the case of "voiced 2" (i.e. post-nasal), the preceding nasal is partly or completely dropped in the alternate dialect. In other words, standard [nd] is pronounced [ⁿd] or even [d]. In the standard dialect, the nasal is fully pronounced.
  • When a postclitic beginning in a "voiceless 1" consonant is preceded by a nasal, the consonant becomes "voiced 2" (but this is not indicated in writing).

Vowels

Prosody

Intonation

Phonotactics

Morphophonology

Phonological history

Morphology

Nouns

Pronouns

Adjectives

Verbs

Adverbs

Particles

Numerals

Phrygian numerals
Cardinal Ordinal Adverbial Collective
0 ματένας (ματείς), ματεμιά, ματένα ματενάνος, -α, -ο
1 ένας (εις), μια, ένα πρώτος, -α, -ο άπαχ μονάς, -άτους
2 τβω τβέτερος, -α, -ο τβις τβάς, -άτους
3 τρες, τρια τρίτος, -α, -ο τρις τριας, -άτους
4 τσ̌έττερες, τσ̌έττερα τσ̌ετέρτος, -α, -ο τσ̌ετράτζ̌ις τσ̌ετράς
5 πίντζε πίντος, -α, -ο πίγκιάτζ̌ις πιντάς, -άτους
6 βεχ βέκθος, -α, -ο βεξάτζ̌ις
7 επθάν έπδαμος, -α, -ο εμμάτζ̌ις
8 οκθών όκδουος, -α, -ο οκθώτζ̌ις
9 ενιάν ένιανος, -α, -ο ενευνάτζ̌ις
10 τέκαν τέκανος, -α, -ο τεκανάτζ̌ις
11 ένεκαν ενέκανος
12 τβώτεκαν τβωτέκανος
13 τρίτεκαν
14 τσ̌ετέρτεκαν
15 πίντεκαν πιντέκανος
16 βέκθεκαν
17 επθάνεκαν
18 οκθώνεκαν
19 ενιάνεκαν
20 βίκιανι βικιοττός
21 ένας τσ̌ε βίκιανι
30 τριάνα τριαττός
40 τσ̌ετράνα
50 πιγκιάνα
60 βεξάνα
70 εμμάνα
80 οκθώνα
90 ενευνάνα
100 εκανόυν
200 τβακιάνιοι
300 τριακιάνιοι
400 τσ̌ετρακιάνιοι
500 πιγκιακιάνιοι
600 βεξακιάνιοι
700 εμμακιάνιοι
800 οκθωκιάνιοι
900 ενευνακιάνιοι
1000 ζέλλια
2000 τβω ζέλλιαι

Syntax

Constituent order

Noun phrase

Verb phrase

Sentence phrase

Dependent clauses

Example texts

Other resources

Notes