Bentovian

Revision as of 01:56, 8 February 2018 by IlL (talk | contribs) (→‎Phonotactics)

Proto-Wiobic is the common ancestor of Tsjoen and Wiobian, as well as other Wiobic languages.

Todo

  • nsaati = tree
    • Tsjoen zaet /zɛt/, Wiobian Nßäht /ⁿzɛːt/
  • Tsj. seots, kljeo, sko, moe, fah, ex, tjeot, hjaet, kvjaet, tsju < ???
  • tsju '10' < ťiu > Wb. ziu

Phonology

Consonants

Virtually identical to Wiobian

Labial Alveolar Medial Velar Lab.vel. Glottal
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ ň /ɲ/ ng /ŋ/
Plosive voiceless p /p/ t /t/ ť /c/ k /k/ kw /kʷ/ ʔ /ʔ/
prenasalized mp /ᵐb/ nt /ⁿd/ ňť /ᶮɟ/ nk /ᵑg/ nkw /ᵑgʷ/
voiced b /b/ d /d/ ď /ɟ/ g /g/
Fricative plain f /f/ s /s/
þ /θ/
š /ç/ h /x/ hw /ʍ/
prenasalized mf /ᵐv/ ns /ⁿz/
Liquid r /r/; l /l/ ř /ɹ/
Approximant j /j/ w /w/

Vowels

Fewer vowels than modern Wiobian or Tsjoen; vowel length was contrastive, as in Proto-Germanic.

  Front Central Back
Close i ii u uu
Mid e ee o oo
Open a aa

There were also six diphthongs, ai au ia ua eu iu.

Phonotactics

The syllable structure is (C)(C)V(C). In addition, clusters of two consonants are allowed word-finally. Final short vowel + no coda is prohibited in roots, as in Germanic and Khmer.

There are virtually no restrictions on consonant clusters, except:

  • An obstruent may not follow a nasal.

Proto-Wiobic to Tsjoen

  • prenasalized stops → voiced stops; -mp -nt ... > -mb -nd ... word finally
    • similarly, mf ns > v z
  • þ > t
  • ť ď > ts z
  • ň > j
  • ř > zj for sure
  • š > sj?
  • Initial ng- > 0-

get both broad-slender and umlaut like I did with Varquun > Tsjoen

Proto-Wiobic to Wiobian

Umlaut and syncope (flesh out), mostly

Grammar