Bźatga: Difference between revisions

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* '''Old Bźatga''' [''Bríatéga''] (8th–12th centuries) is the period defined by the arrival of writing to Veśŕa to the onset of syncope in the 12th century, which led to iotisation being phonemicised. The key developments of this period are the loss of distinctive vowel quality, leading to the present vowel system, and the development of iotisation. The period is also marked by the earliest loanwords from Old Irish, Ecclesiastical Latin (mostly via Old Irish) and Old Norse.
* '''Old Bźatga''' [''Bríatéga''] (8th–12th centuries) is the period defined by the arrival of writing to Veśŕa to the onset of syncope in the 12th century, which led to iotisation being phonemicised. The key developments of this period are the loss of distinctive vowel quality, leading to the present vowel system, and the development of iotisation. The period is also marked by the earliest loanwords from Old Irish, Ecclesiastical Latin (mostly via Old Irish) and Old Norse.
* '''Middle Bźatga''' [''Br’atga'' or ''Bŕatga''] (12th–16th centuries) begins with the development of syncope in the 12th century and ends with the renewal of contact with the outside world in the 16th. As well as syncope, it is characterised by the reduction of the inflectional system and the growth of more syntactic methods of expression, for example prepositions replaced case endings and pronouns replaced verbal endings. These changes were not fully reflected in the formal written language, leading to a divergence in written and spoken Bźatga. The late MBz. period also saw the development of palatalisation before ''i''.  
* '''Middle Bźatga''' [''Br’atga'' or ''Bŕatga''] (12th–16th centuries) begins with the development of syncope in the 12th century and ends with the renewal of contact with the outside world in the 16th. As well as syncope, it is characterised by the reduction of the inflectional system and the growth of more syntactic methods of expression, for example prepositions replaced case endings and pronouns replaced verbal endings. These changes were not fully reflected in the formal written language, leading to a divergence in written and spoken Bźatga. The late MBz. period also saw the development of palatalisation before ''i''.  
* '''Modern Bźatga''' [''Bźatga''] (16th century to present) begins with a period of renewed contact with the outside world, which brought new loanwords (particularly of Greek and Latin origin) and resulted in a vernacular written language ousting the archaic formal language.  
* '''Modern Bźatga''' [''Bźatga''] (16th century to present) begins with a period of renewed contact with the outside world, which brought new loanwords (particularly of Greek and Latin origin) and resulted in a vernacular written language ousting the archaic formal language.
 
(see [[Bźatga/History]])


==Phonology and Orthography==
==Phonology and Orthography==
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====Nasal Vowels====
====Nasal Vowels====
When nasal consonants (''m, n, ń'') stand before a consonant or in word-final position, they merge with the preceding vowel or diphthong and cause it to nasalise;  ''m'' and ''n'' both disappear, leaving the preceding vowel/diphthong slightly lengthened, while ''ń'' becomes [ȷ̃], e.g. ''aun'' "river" [ãũˑ], ''genta'' "girl" [gɛ̃ˑtɐ], ''camvon'' "whelp" [kãˑβɔ̃ˑ], ''dońva'' "people" (GDPl.) [dɔ̃ȷ̃βɐ].
When nasal consonants (''m, n, ń'') stand before a consonant or in word-final position, they merge with the preceding vowel or diphthong and cause it to nasalise;  ''m'' and ''n'' both disappear, leaving the preceding vowel/diphthong slightly lengthened, while ''ń'' becomes [ȷ̃], e.g. ''aun'' "river" [ãũˑ], ''genta'' "girl" [gɛ̃ˑtɐ], ''camvon'' "whelp" [kãˑβɔ̃ˑ], ''dońva'' "people" (GDPl.) [dɔ̃ȷ̃βɐ].
====Syllabic ''r, n'' and ''l''====
In medieval and early modern Bźatga the consonants ''r, n, l'' and their secondary forms ''ŕ, ń, ĺ'' could be syllabic /r̩, n̩, l̩/ (i.e. stand between two consononts or between a consonant and pausa in place of a vowel). Over time, the relatively infrequent instances of ''n, l'' were levelled out leaving only syllabic ''r'' surviving, with forms such as MBz. ''eznga'' "bird-like", ''dazldeja'' "meeting-house" being replaced by ModBz. ''eznaga, dazladeja'' but with ''zvegrna'' "father-in-law", ''cadrnga'' "strong one" continuing. Nevertheless, syllabic ''n, l'' are occasionally met with in archaic writing. By today, syllabic ''r'' is largely restricted to higher or more formal registers in both speech and writing while in the vernacular it is replaced by ''a'', e.g. ''zvegana, cadanga''.


===Stress===
===Stress===
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*''d'' and ''t'' become ''ć'' and ''ǵ'' respectively, e.g. ''môde'' "soft", cpv. ''môǵu'' "softer".  
*''d'' and ''t'' become ''ć'' and ''ǵ'' respectively, e.g. ''môde'' "soft", cpv. ''môǵu'' "softer".  
*''p, b'' and ''m'' are simply followed by the letter ''j'', e.g. ''caba'' "crooked", cpv. ''cabju'' "more crooked".
*''p, b'' and ''m'' are simply followed by the letter ''j'', e.g. ''caba'' "crooked", cpv. ''cabju'' "more crooked".
*''v'' becomes ''j'', e.g. ''dovo'' "black", cpv. ''doju'' "blacker".
*''v'' becomes ''j'', e.g. ''cova'' "dear", cpv. ''coju'' "more raw".
 
In consonant clusters, iotised ''ń, ĺ, ŕ, ś, ź'' carry the process to a preceding ''ń, ĺ, ŕ, ś'' or'' ź'', e.g. ''z + ń > źń, n + ĺ > ńĺ, s + ź > śź''.


====Palatalisation====
====Palatalisation====
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| ''Ģ ģ''
| ''Ģ ģ''
| /d͡ʒ/
| /d͡ʒ/
|
| ''DŔ, dŕ''
|-
|-
| ''I i''
| ''I i''
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* ''aḑir'' represents a limited class of nouns, all relating to kinship terms, which have a NAsg. in -C''ir'' but the remaining paradigm in -C''r-''. This class includes ''maḑir'' "mother", ''braḑir'' "brother", ''auțir'' "uncle" and the rare, archaic ''dôćir'' "daughter".  
* ''aḑir'' represents a limited class of nouns, all relating to kinship terms, which have a NAsg. in -C''ir'' but the remaining paradigm in -C''r-''. This class includes ''maḑir'' "mother", ''braḑir'' "brother", ''auțir'' "uncle" and the rare, archaic ''dôćir'' "daughter".  
** related, but irregular, is ''zviur'' "sister" (NAsg.), ''zviare'' (GDsg.), ''zviŕi'' (NApl.), ''zviara'' (GDpl.).  
** related, but irregular, is ''zviur'' "sister" (NAsg.), ''zviare'' (GDsg.), ''zviŕi'' (NApl.), ''zviara'' (GDpl.).  


====The Vocative====
====The Vocative====
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===Numerals===
===Numerals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  !! Cardinal !! Ordinal
|-
! 1
|| ''vona'' || ''ćata''
|-
! 2
| ''da'' || ''aĺa''
|-
! 3
| ''ći'' || ''ćića''
|-
! 4
| ''peudre'' || ''peuģa''
|-
! 5
| ''pjape'' || ''pjapda''
|-
! 6
| ''zveś'' || ''zveśta''
|-
! 7
| ''seća'' || ''sećveda''
|-
! 8
| ''oću'' || ''oćveda''
|-
! 9
| ''nava'' || ''naveda''
|-
! 10
| ''dega'' || ''degveda''
|-
! 11
| ''vonzega'' || ''vonzegveda''
|-
! 12
| ''dazga'' || ''dazgveda''
|-
! 13
| ''ćizga'' || ''ćizgveda''
|-
! 14
| ''pedzega'' || ''pedzegveda''
|-
! 15
| ''pjapzega'' || ''pjapzegveda''
|-
! 16
| ''zveśzega'' || ''zveśzegveda''
|-
! 17
| ''sećzega'' || ''sećzegveda''
|-
! 18
| ''oćzega'' || ''oćzegveda''
|-
! 19
| ''nauzega'' || ''nauzegveda''
|-
! 20
| ''vêgți'' || ''vêgtveda''
|-
! 21
| ||
|-
! 30
| ''ćigta'' ||
|-
! 40
| ''pedgota'' ||
|-
! 50
| ''pjapta'' ||
|-
! 60
| ''zveścota'' ||
|-
! 70
| ''sećvogta'' ||
|-
! 80
| ''oćgota'' ||
|-
! 90
| ''naugota'' ||
|-
! 100
| ''cata'' || ''catveda''
|}
====Cardinal====
====Cardinal====
The cardinal numbers occur before '''singular''' forms of nouns. Only ''vona'' "one" is inflected for case.  
The cardinal numbers occur before '''singular''' forms of nouns. Only ''vona'' "one" is inflected for case.  
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