Hlou-Shum languages
The Hlou-Shum languages (Eevo: bo brits Lloo-Xwm; Hlou: Ntzog Ntzog Schlaub-Xön; Ko: lees yoo ndoigh Hloodh-Xoo) are a small family of languages native to Verse:Tricin/Bjeheond. Most modern Hlou-Shum languages are tonal. The proto-language, Proto-Hlou-Shum (PHS), is about 2500 years old. The family is based on the idea of recasting IE languages as Hmong-like languages. Hlou-Shum languages had much more importance in the past, but today Windermere is more dominant in Bjeheond.
Family tree
- Proto-Hlou-Shum (PIE- and Old Chinese-inspired)
Timeline
Proto-Hlou-Shum: 2500 years BP
Writing system
Proto-Hlou-Shum was written with a system of logographs. Hlou, Ku and Shumian developed the logographs separately into their own writing systems.
Phonology
The following presents Schlomo Schngellstein's reconstruction of Proto-Hlou-Shum.
Phonotactics
A Proto-Hlou-Shum word had the structure
(preinitial) + (C)C(r/l)V(C)(C) + (postfinal) tone.
Preinitials were unstressed derivational prefixes.
Initials
- p t tz ts tx ḱ k kw ʔ
- ph th tzh tsh txh ḱh kh kwh
- b d dz ds dx ǵ g gw
- bh dh dzh dsh dxh ǵh gh gwh
- f z s x h
- F Z S X H = voiced/breathy f z s x h
- m n ń y r l w
s-series > ɬ-series in some descendants
Ku and Clooa gain uvulars through velars + r/l.
Nuclei
a e i o u ə ai au ei ou iə uə
Coda
Allowed finals:
- -p -t -k
- -mp -nt -nk
- -m -n -l -w -y
- -ʔ -s
- plosive + s or ʔ
- nasal + s
Tones
PHS was non-tonal. The tones in daughter languages are actually reflexes of final types in PHS:
- A: -0, -N, -l
- B: -ʔ
- C: -s
- D: -t
- E: -p, -k
The incidence of tones A, B, C in Hlou-Shum words follows the ratio 2:1:1.
Grammar
Proto-Hlou-Shum was head-initial like Vietnamese.
Reduplication
Total reduplication was used for noun plurals, verbal imperatives, and adverbs from adjectives.
Some descendants turned this into partial reduplication.
Derivation
Sometimes two prefixes could be used.
- s-: nominalization, "metonymy", adjectivizer
- louʔ 'spring (season)' > slouʔ 'springlike, where there is spring'
- -ʔ: nominalization
- lou 'to plant' > louʔ 'spring (season)'
- m- preinitial
- r- preinitial
- lenition/retroflexion in Hlou
- D- preinitial
- changes some consonants in Shum
- maybe it's the same as the r-preinitial
Reflexes
Initials
Hlou
Initial clusters (not every cluster may be allowed)
- ḱ ǵ ś > tx dx x
- pl tl ḱl kl ʔl > pl tl schl kl schl
- npl ntl nḱl nkl > npl ntl nkl nkl
- bl dl ǵl gl > bl dl gl gl
- nbl ndl nǵl ngl > nbl ndl ngl ngl
- fl vl sl śl > fl fl schl schl
- tzl tsl > tz ts
- ntzl ntsl ntxl > ntz nts ntx
- dz ds dxl > dz ds dx
- ndzl ndsl ndxl > nl nl nl
- ml nl > ml nl
- pr, br > pf, v
- kr, gr > sch
- tr, dr > tr, dr
- sp, st, str, stl, sc, sk > schm, schn, schr, schl, x, sch
- sm, sn, sṇ, sń > schm, schn, schr, x
- stz sts stx > tz ts tx
The n-preinitial turns some consonants into prenasalized consonants
The r-preinitial (some koineization)
- r-p r-t r-ḱ r-k r-ʔ > f tr sch sch h
- r-np r-nt r-nḱ r-nk > mpf ntr nk nk
- r-b r-d r-ǵ r-g > v dr j g
- r-nb r-nd r-nǵ r-ng > mpf ndr ng ng
- r-f r-v r-z r-s r-x r-h > f w ntz nts ntx h
- r-tz r-ts r-tx > z s x
- r-ntz r-nts r-ntx > ntz nts ntx
- r-dz r-ds r-dx > j j j
- r-ndz r-nds r-ndx > ntz nts ntx
- r-m r-n r-ń r-y r-l r-w > w n j j drl r
- r-Cl > drl, trl, ndrl, ntrl
-k > glottal stop final
Shum
s- triggers tone split
b p > bh p
sb sp > b p
np nb > b mh
spr pr > ph p
sbr br > bh bh
nCl, r.Cl > nl or nlh
l > l, D.l > ll
f > h
Dp Db Dt Dd Dk Dg > f v th dh ch gh
f v th dh ch gh > p bh t dh k gh
x > tl
z > ś, s > s
k' > ś, g' > jh
- kw > p
- gw > v > vh in shum
- w > w > v in shum
Ko
Rimes
Tones
Hlou
Tone split from voiceless initial/voiced initial?
| Tone class | Voiceless initial (5/8) | Voiced initial (3/8) |
|---|---|---|
| A (8/24) | -b | -s |
| B (4/24) | -n | -0 |
| C (4/24) | -0 | -g |
| D (3/24) | -ß | -d |
| E (3/24) | -hn | -h |
Sample
ʔouh ʔak zamB-zamB
The Sheep and the Horses