Hlou-Shum languages
The Hlou-Shum languages (Eevo: bo brits Lloo-Xwm; Hlou: Schmë Ntzog Schlaub-Xul; Ko: lees yoo ndoigh Hloobh-Xoo) are a small family of languages native to Verse:Tricin/Bjeheond. Most modern Hlou-Shum languages are tonal. The proto-language, Proto-Hlou-Shum, is 2500 years old. The family is based on the idea of IE languages recast as Hmong-like languages. Hlou-Shum languages had much more importance in the past, but today Tergetian and Rhythoed are more dominant in Bjeheond.
Family tree
- Proto-Hlou-Shum
Timeline
Proto-Hlou-Shum: 2500 years BP
Writing system
Proto-Hlou-Shum was written with a system of logographs. Hlou, Ku and Shumian developed the logographs separately into their own writing systems.
Phonology
Phonotactics
The typical Proto-Hlou-Shum word had the structure
(preinitial) + (C)C(r/l)V(C)(C)tone.
Preinitials were unstressed derivational prefixes and were lost without a trace in some descendants, such as Ku.
Some unstressed prefixes: nə-, rə-
Initials
~30 consonants:
p t ṭ ḱ k ʔ b d ḍ ǵ g f v z s x h tz ts tx dz ds dx m n ṇ ń y r l w (z, s as in Basque)
s-series > ɬ-series in some descendants
Ku and Clooa gain uvulars through velars + r/l.
Nuclei
a e i o u ə ai au ei ou iə uə - a few more vowels for Liai
Nasal vowels?
Coda
Allowed finals: just -ŋ, -k, -h, -ʔ
Cheshirized grammatical particles -> lenition, eclipsis in Ku
Tones
3 tones: -0, -H, -X
Grammar
Proto-Hlou-Shum was head-initial like Vietnamese.
Derivation
TODO: preinitial prefixes
- ⟨l⟩ infix?
- s-: nominalization, "metonymy", adjectivizer
- louʔ 'spring (season)' > slouʔ 'springlike, where there is spring'
- -ʔ: nominalization
- lou 'to plant' > louʔ 'spring (season)'
- n- preinitial
- r- preinitial
- p- preinitial
Reflexes
Initials
pr, br > pʂ > pf in Hlou
kr, gr > sch in Hlou
tr, dr > tr, dr in Hlou
Shum
s- triggers tone split
b p > bh p
sb sp > b p
np nb > b mh
spr pr > ph p
sbr br > bh bh
nCl, r.Cl > nl or nlh
l > l, z.l > ll
Rimes
Tones
Some morphemes
- s- = nominalization
- Hlou lähn '3' > Schlähn 'tribe'