Hondish (hunnech) is a Celtic language spoken on the island of Hondey (Hondish: Hunne) in the North Sea. It is closely related to other living Celtic languages and forms its own distinct group in the Insular Celtic language group. Thorought history it has been significantly influenced by the Germanic languages, most notably Old Norse and its descendants, North Germanic languages as well as West Germanic languages, namely Dutch and to a lesser degree English. These influences manifest primarily in Hondish vocabulary and phonology, its morphology and syntax have been less affected.
Phonology
Consonants
|
Bilabial
|
Labiodental
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Dental
|
Alveolar
|
Postalveolar
|
Palatal
|
Velar/Uvular
|
Glottal
|
Nasal
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m ⟨m⟩
|
|
n ⟨n⟩
|
|
ɲ ⟨ņ⟩
|
ŋ ⟨ng⟩
|
|
Plosive
|
voiceless
|
p ⟨p⟩
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t ⟨t⟩
|
|
k ⟨k⟩
|
voiced
|
b ⟨b⟩
|
d ⟨d⟩
|
(g ⟨gh⟩)
|
Fricative
|
sibillant
|
voiceless
|
|
s ⟨s⟩
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ʃ ⟨sc⟩
|
ɕ ⟨chj⟩
|
x ⟨ch⟩
|
h ⟨h⟩
|
voiced
|
z ⟨z⟩
|
ʒ ⟨zc⟩
|
|
ɣ ⟨g⟩
|
|
non-sibillant
|
voiceless
|
|
f ⟨f⟩
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θ ⟨th⟩
|
|
ç ⟨hj⟩
|
|
voiced
|
v ⟨v⟩
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ð ⟨dh⟩
|
|
Affricate
|
voiceless
|
|
ts ⟨ts⟩
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tʃ ⟨tsc⟩
|
|
voiced
|
dz ⟨ds⟩
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dʒ ⟨dsc⟩
|
Approximant
|
|
|
j ⟨j⟩
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w ⟨w⟩
|
|
Lateral
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l ⟨l⟩
|
|
ʎ ⟨ļ⟩
|
|
Rhotic
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r ⟨r⟩
|
|
Vowels
Stressed vowels
Monophthongs
|
Front
|
Back
|
unrounded
|
rounded
|
unrounded
|
rounded
|
long
|
short
|
long
|
short
|
long
|
short
|
long
|
short
|
High
|
(i: ⟨îe⟩)
|
ɪ ⟨i⟩
|
y: ⟨ûe⟩
|
ʏ ⟨u⟩
|
ɤ: ⟨âoe⟩
|
ɤ ⟨ao⟩
|
u: ⟨òe⟩
|
(ʊ ⟨ò⟩)
|
Mid
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e: ⟨êe⟩
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ɛ ⟨e⟩
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ø: ⟨ø̂e⟩
|
œ ⟨ø⟩
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o: ⟨ôe⟩
|
ɔ ⟨o⟩
|
Low
|
|
a ⟨a⟩
|
|
ɑ: ⟨ae⟩
|
|
Falling diphthongs
|
ə
|
ʊ
|
ɪ
|
i:
|
i:ə̯ ⟨iea⟩
|
i:u̯ ⟨ieu⟩
|
|
e:
|
e:ə̯ ⟨eea⟩
|
e:u̯ ⟨eeu⟩
|
|
y:
|
y:ə̯ ⟨uea⟩
|
|
ø:
|
ø:ə̯ ⟨øea⟩
|
ø:u̯ ⟨øeu⟩
|
|
ɤ:
|
ɯ:ə̯ ⟨aoa⟩
|
ɯ:u̯ ⟨aou⟩
|
|
u:
|
u:ə̯ ⟨òea⟩
|
|
o:
|
o:ə̯ ⟨oea⟩
|
|
ɪ
|
|
ɪu̯ ⟨iu⟩
|
|
ɛ
|
ɛə̯ ⟨ea⟩
|
ɛu̯ ⟨eu⟩
|
eɪ̯ ⟨y, ie⟩
|
œ
|
œə̯ ⟨øa⟩
|
œu̯ ⟨ue⟩
|
|
ʏ
|
ʏə̯ ⟨ua⟩
|
ʏu̯ ⟨uu⟩
|
|
ɔ
|
ɔə̯ ⟨oa⟩
|
ou̯ ⟨ou⟩
|
|
Rising diphthongs
Front
|
Back
|
unrounded
|
rounded
|
unrounded
|
rounded
|
ɪ̯e ⟨ee⟩
|
ʏ̯ø ⟨øe⟩
|
ɯ̯ɤ ⟨aoe⟩
|
ʊ̯o ⟨oe⟩
|
Unstressed vowels
Monophthongs
|
Front
|
Central
|
Back
|
|
unrounded
|
rounded
|
unrounded
|
rounded
|
High
|
ɪ ⟨i⟩
|
|
ʊ ⟨u⟩
|
Mid
|
ɛ ⟨e, ee⟩
|
œ ⟨ø⟩
|
ə ⟨e⟩
|
ɤ ⟨ao⟩
|
ɔ ⟨o⟩
|
Low
|
|
ɑ ⟨a⟩
|
|
Falling dipththong
|
ə
|
ʊ
|
e
|
eə̯ ⟨ea⟩
|
eʊ̯ ⟨eu⟩
|
ø
|
øə̯ ⟨øa⟩
|
øʊ̯ ⟨øu⟩
|
ɤ
|
ɤə̯ ⟨aoa⟩
|
ɤʊ̯ ⟨aou⟩
|
o
|
oə̯ ⟨oa⟩
|
oʊ̯ ⟨ou⟩
|
Like in other Celtic languages, Hondish initial consonants also undergo mutations. These mutations were originally triggerred by largely predictable assimilations at the borders of words and affixes. However, subsequent phonological changes often obscured the triggers of these mutations, leaving their triggering to morphology and syntax.
Initial consonant mutations
Radical
|
Initial mutations
|
Internal mutations
|
Lenition
|
Aspiration
|
Nasalisation
|
Lenition
|
Aspiration
|
Nasalisation
|
p
|
b
|
f
|
b
|
b
|
f
|
hm
|
b
|
v
|
p
|
m
|
v
|
p
|
m
|
t |
d |
θ |
d |
d |
θ |
hn
|
ts |
dz |
θj |
dz |
dz |
θj |
hɲ
|
d |
ð |
t |
n |
ð |
t |
n
|
dz |
ðj |
ts |
ɲ |
ðj |
ts |
ɲ
|
k |
ɣ |
x |
ɣ |
ɣ |
x |
hŋ
|
tʃ |
ʒ |
ɕ |
ʒ |
ʒ |
ɕ |
hɲ
|
ɣ |
∅ |
k |
ŋ |
∅ |
k |
ŋ
|
ʒ
|
j |
tʃ |
ɲ |
j |
tʃ |
ɲ
|
ç
|
ʃ
|
|
ç
|
ʃ
|
|
z
|
h
|
s
|
|
h
|
s
|
|
s
|
z
|
|
z
|
z
|
|
z
|
ʃ
|
ʒ
|
|
ʒ
|
ʒ
|
|
ʒ
|
x
|
∅
|
|
∅
|
∅
|
|
∅
|
ɕ
|
j
|
|
j
|
j
|
|
j
|
f
|
h
|
|
|
h
|
|
|
v
|
w
|
f
|
|
w
|
f
|
|
vj
|
j
|
fj
|
|
j
|
fj
|
|
m
|
w
|
|
|
w
|
hm
|
|
mj
|
j
|
|
|
j
|
hmj
|
|
n
|
|
|
|
|
hn
|
|
ɲ
|
|
|
|
|
hɲ
|
|
j
|
|
dj
|
ɲ
|
|
dj
|
ɲ
|
gj
|
gj
|
w
|
|
gw
|
ŋ
|
|
gw
|
ŋ
|
l
|
|
|
|
|
hl
|
ml
|
ʎ
|
|
|
|
|
hʎ
|
mʎ
|
r
|
|
|
|
|
hr
|
mr
|
rj
|
|
|
|
|
hrj
|
mrj
|
h
|
|
|
ç
|
|
|
Morphology
Syntax
Constituent order
Noun phrase
Verb phrase
Sentence phrase
Dependent clauses
Example texts
Other resources