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 by	Shariifka
Language family	Indo-European Graeco-Phrygian Phrygian Modern Phrygian

Introduction

Etymology

Modern Phrygian βρουζ̌ικιά vružigʲá < Ancient Phrygian βρυγικά brugiká (cognate with Ancient Greek φρυγικά pʰrygiká).

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.
• 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 stop clusters (and some other consonant clusters), the second consonant becomes a fricative.
• Assimilation of s to following consonant in consonant clusters (except word-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]
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.)"	⟨ι⟩ remains a vowel in these positions if it has a diaresis and/or an accent (i.e. ⟨ϊ, ί, ΐ⟩).
	preceded by an unvoiced consonant other than ⟨κ⟩ or ⟨χ⟩ and followed by a vowel	[ç]	ιμάτιο [iˈmatço] "cloak"
	preceded by a voiced consonant other than ⟨γ⟩, ⟨λ⟩, ⟨μ⟩, or ⟨ν⟩ and followed by a vowel	[ʝ]	τρια [trʝa] "three (n.)"
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]
	after nasal otherwise	[ɡ]
	before voiced obstruent	[ɡ]
	otherwise before front vowel	[c]	κιττάπο [ciˈtab̥o] "book"
	everywhere else	[k]	κακός [kaˈɡ̊os] "bad, harmful"
κκ	before front vowel	[c]
	otherwise	[k]
κι	after vowel or liquid and before a vowel	[ɟ̊]
	after nasal before a vowel	[ɟ]
	otherwise before a vowel	[c]
κκι	before a vowel	[c]
λ(λ)	everywhere	[l]
λ(λ)ι	before a vowel	[ʎ]
μ(μ)	everywhere	[m]
ν	non-final	[n]
	final	[-̃, ɰ̃]		Nasalizes the preceding vowel.
νν	everywhere	[n]
ν(ν)ι	before a vowel	[ɲ]
ξ	everywhere	[ks]
ξ̌	everywhere	[kʃ]
ου	word-initial before a vowel, between vowels, or after a consonant before a vowel	[w]		⟨ου⟩ remains a vowel in this circumstance if it has an accent (i.e. ⟨ού⟩).
π	after vowel or liquid	[b̥]
	after nasal	[b]
	before voiced obstruent	[b]
	otherwise	[p]
ππ	everywhere	[p]
ρ(ρ)	everywhere	[r ~ ɾ]		In free variation.
σ(σ)	everywhere	[s]
τ	after vowel or liquid	[d̥]
	after nasal	[d]
	before voiced obstruent	[d]
	otherwise	[t]
ττ	everywhere	[t]
τσ	everywhere	[ts]
τσ̌	everywhere	[tʃ]
τζ	after nasals	[dz]
	elsewhere	[d̥z̥]
τζ̌	after nasals	[dʒ]
	elsewhere	[d̥ʒ̊]
υ	after ⟨α⟩, ⟨ε⟩, or ⟨η⟩ and before a nasal consonant	[m]
	after ⟨α⟩, ⟨ε⟩, or ⟨η⟩ and word-final or before a voiceless consonant	[f]
	after ⟨α⟩, ⟨ε⟩, or ⟨η⟩ otherwise	[v]
φ	everywhere	[f]
χ	before front vowel	[ç]
	otherwise	[x]
χι	before vowel	[ç]
ψ	everywhere	[ps]
ψ̌	everywhere	[pʃ]

Notes:

• Voiced and partially voiced stops/affricates are allophones of the same phoneme in the standard language, with the fully voiced forms occurring after nasals and the partially voiced forms occurring otherwise. However, they have been distinguished here because some dialects keep them as separate phonemes.

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)	–
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.

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.

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).

Morphology

Numerals

Phrygian numerals

	Cardinal	Ordinal	Adverbial	Collective
0	ματένας (ματείς), ματέμια, 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