User:Ceige/Cauvit
Cauvit (or Saavit), made using this dictionary and a bunch of Wikipedia pages.
Etymology
Proto-Austronesian *Cau and *ita, which is generalised as a plural marker and the -a is lost after being reanalysed as some sort of unnecessary suffix to the *-it- part.
Phonological correspondences
The sound changes from Proto-Austronesian to fit an Inuit-inspired mould are not particularly complicated. To keep things as simple as possible, the target phonology for converting Austronesian etyma into Inuit-esque words is roughly Proto-Eskimo-Aleut to Proto-Eskimo. The final columns are there for examples of daughter phonemes in contemporary Inuit languages.
| Proto-Austronesian Blust & Trussel 2017 |
Proto-Cauwit PEA-inspired phonology |
Proto-Cauvit PE inspired |
Sauvič Inupiaq/Natsilik inspired |
Saavit Kalaallisut inspired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p /p/ | p /p/ | p /p/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| b /b/ | p /p/, -v- /v/ | p /p/, v /v/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| m /m/ | m /m/ | m /m/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| w /w/ | w /w/ | v /v/, uv- /uv/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| t /t/ | t /t/ | t /t/ | t /t/, +i: /tʃ/ | t /t/, +i: /s/ |
| d /d/ | t /t/, -ð- /ð/ | t /t/, Ø | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| n /n/ | n /n/ | n /n/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| S /s/ | s /s/ | s /s/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| C /t͡s/ | c /t͡s/ | c /t͡s/ | s /s/, +i: š /ʃ/ | s /s/ |
| l /l/ | l /l/ | l /l/ | l /l/, +i: ľ /ʎ/ | l /l/, +gem: ll /ɬ(:)/ |
| r /ɾ/ | ř /sʲ~ɾ~ɟ/ | Ø? t~l? ð? | ?? | [skræling > kalaalleq] |
| ñ /ɲ/ | ň /ɲ/ | n /n/ | n /n/ +i: ň /ɲ/ | n /n/ |
| s /ç/ | š /sʲ/ | s /s/ | s /s/ +i: š /ʃ/ | s /s/ |
| c /c͡ç/ | č /t͡sʲ/ | c /t͡s/ | s /s/ +i: š /ʃ/ | s /s/ |
| z /ɟ͡ʝ/ | ž /ɟ/ (ř?) | ž /ɟ/ | ž /ʐ/ | (i)s(i), s- /s/, (i)Ø(v), -j- /j/? |
| N /lʲ/ | ň /ɲ/ | n /n/ | n /n/ +i: ň /ɲ/ | n /n/ |
| y /j/ | j /j/ | j /j/, ij- /ij/? | j /j/, č- /ʃ/ | j /j/, s- /s/ |
| k /k/ | k /k/ | k /k/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| g /g/ | k /k/, -g- /ɣ~g/ | k /k/, -g- /ɣ~g/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| j /ɡʲ/ | ž /ɟ/ (ř?) | ž /ɟ/ | ž /ʐ/ | (i)s(i), s- /s/, (i)Ø(v), -j- /j/? |
| ŋ /ŋ/ | ŋ /ŋ/ | Ø-, -ŋ/Ø- /ŋ~Ø/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| q /q/ | q /q/ | q /q/, r /ʁ/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| h /h/ | h /h/ | Ø | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| R /r/ or /ʀ/ | q /q/, -r- /ʁ/ | q /q/, -r- /ʁ/ | q /q/, -r- /ʁ/, VØV | q /q/, -r- /ʁ/, VØV /V:/ |
| i /i/ | i /i/, +uvu: e /e/ | i /i/, e /e/, +lab /y/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| u /u/ | u /u/, +uvu: o /o/ | u /u/, o /o/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| a /a/ | a /a~ɑ/ | a /a~ɑ/ | Same as Proto-Cauvit | |
| e /ə/ | ə /ə/ | ï /ï/ +lab /y/ | i /i/ | i /i/ |
- Red in the proto-Cauwit column: Possibly all the same consonant, depends on data from Inupiaq and Natsilingmiutut/Natsilik. Note that Kalaallisut does not allow words to start with /j/, and as a result it seems this consonant is sometimes turned into /s/. This may play a role in why it occasionally becomes /s/ in the middle of words, too, with palatalisation not being the culprit, but instead clustering and gemination: in Kalaallisut, geminate oral consonants, including /v/ and /l, frequently become devoiced. Thus if /jj/ were to form for some reason, [s] would be the expected outcome.
- #d6e1ec in the proto-Cauvit column: Labial series
- #d1ebeb in the proto-Cauvit column: Dental series
- #dff1e0 in the proto-Cauvit column: Velar series
- #f0f1df in the proto-Cauvit column: Uvular series
Clusters go here
- s + N > Ns > Ps e.g. sn > ts, sng > ks etc.
Example Roots
| English | Proto-Austronesian Blust & Trussel 2017 |
Proto-Cauwit PEA-inspired phonology |
Proto-Cauvit PE inspired |
Sauvič Inupiaq/Natsilik inspired |
Saavit Kalaallisut inspired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| boat | *qabaŋ /qabaŋ/ | *qavaŋ | qavaŋ | qavak | qavak |
| evening | *Rabiqi /ʀabiqi/ | *qaviqi | qaviqi, qavqi | qaveri, qarri (qafri?) | qaveri, qarri /qaχːi/ |
| fish | *Sikan /sikan/ | *sikan | sikan(-iq) | šikat/šikaneq | sikat/sikaneq |
| hack, cut into pieces | *saksak /çakçak/ | *šakšak | saksak | sakšak (čakšak) | sassak |
| head, chief, first | *quluh /quluh/ | *quluh | qulu | qulu, quloq | qulu, quloq |
| house | *Rumaq /ʀumaq/ | *qumaq | qomaq | qumaq | qumaq (!qomaq) |
| gnash the teeth | *ŋeCŋeC /ŋətsŋəts/ | *ŋəcŋəc | ïsŋït (ïŋsït?) | isŋit (ikšit) | iŋŋit/inngit (issit) |
| moon, month | *bulaN /bulalʲ/ | *pulaň | pulan | pulat | pulat |
| nose | *ujuŋ /uɡʲuŋ/ | *užuŋ | užuŋ | užuk | usuk / ujuk / uvuk |
| person | *Cau /tsau/ | *cau | cau | sau(q) | saa(q) |
| pine tree | *saleŋ /çaləŋ/ | *šaləŋ | salïŋ | salit, salik | salit, salik |
| satiated | *besuR /bəçuʀ/ | *pəšuʀ | pïsuʀ | pisoq | pisoq |
| sea | *tenem(e) /tənəm(ə)/ | *tənəm(ə) | tïnïm (tïnmï) | tinip (timmi) | tinip (timmi) |
| shark | *qiSu /qisu/ | *qisu | qisu | qesu | qesu |
| sky | *laŋiC /laŋits/ | *laŋis | laŋit | laŋič | laŋit |
| tree, wood | *kaSiw /kasiw/ | *kasiw | kasip | kašip | kasip |
| urine | *iSeq /isəq/ | *isəq | iseq | išeq ~ iseq | iseq |
| year, season, heaven | *kawaS /kawas/ | *kawas | kavat | kavat | kavat |
Example Grammar
- -Ø = absolute
- -(a? ə+lab –> u in PEA stage?)p = transitive actor (from pa-, causative)
- -q = optional definite marker? From qu
- -it = from ita, plural marker?
- -nu = genitive? (Greenlandic has ergative, instr, all, loc, abl, pros, equat...)