User:Aleisi Galan/Sabian-Evolution: Difference between revisions

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Main Page: [[user:Aleisi Galan]]
Main Page: [[user:Aleisi Galan]]
This page covers the evolution of a Polish-Carpathian based Romance language with a large amount of Slavic influence and a divergent evolution both in vocabulary and grammar. It covers the evolution in stages, with both the phonological and morphological covered.
= Phonological Evolution of Sabian=


=Evolution of Sabian=
==Vulgar Latin to Proto Sabian: 400 AD - 700 AD==
This page covers the potential evolution of a Vojvodina-based Romance language with a large amount of Slavic influence and a divergent evolution both in vocabulary and grammar. It covers the evolution in stages, with both the phonological and morphological covered.
====Consonants and Clusters====
==Vulgar Latin to Proto Sabian==
===450 AD - 700 AD===
This stage covers the transition from Vulgar Latin to Proto-Sabian. It covers the period from the end of the Roman empire, the occupation of the Avars, and the arrival of the Proto Slavs before their integration within the Sabian region and minor migrations to the Zemljask regions to the north.
====Consonants====


{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Vulgar Latin Vowels to Proto-Sabian Vowels</i>
! colspan="60%"|<i>Vulgar Latin to Proto-Sabian</i>
|-
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
Line 17: Line 15:
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
|-
| h
| h
| Ø
| Ø
| all
| all
| deletion
|-
|-
| nct, mpt
| nct, mpt
| nt
| nt
| all
| all
| simplification
|-
|-
| gn
| gn
| ɲ
| ɲ
| all
| all
| palatalisation
|-
|-
| {sc, cc}, gg
| {sc, cc}, gg
| st͡s, zd͡z
| ʃt͡ʃ, zd͡z
| before front vowels
| before front vowels
| palatalisation
|-
|-
| c, ch
| c, ch
| t͡ʃ
| t͡ʃ
| before front vowels
| word initially, before front vowels
| palatalisation
|-
| g
| z
| front vowels
| deletion
|-
|-
| p, b, t, d, c, m
| p, b, t, d, c, m
| Ø
| Ø
| word finally
| word finally
| deletion
|-
| Vns, Vs
| V:
| word finally
| deletion
|-
| Vns
| V:s
| else
| deletion
|-
|-
| pr, br, tr, dr, cr, gr
| pr, br, tr, dr, cr, gr
| draw stressed position forwards
| draw stressed position forwards
| polysyllabic
| polysyllabic
| adjustment
|-
|-
| b
| p, b
| v
| v
| intervocalically
| intervocalically, p-sporadic
| lenition
|-
| sp, st, sk
| jьsp, jьst, jьsk
| word initially
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 79: Line 57:
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Vulgar Latin Vowels to Proto-Sabian Vowels</i>
! colspan="60%"|<i>Vulgar Latin to Proto-Sabian</i>
|-
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
Line 87: Line 65:
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| ī
| raises prev. vowel
| all
| N/A
|-
|-
| V
| V
Line 96: Line 79:
| V
| V
| unstressed
| unstressed
| N/A
|-
| ī
| raises prev. vowel
| all
| N/A
| N/A
|-
|-
Line 164: Line 142:
|-
|-
| ō
| ō
| o
| ō
| stressed
| stressed
| back
| back
Line 179: Line 157:
|-
|-
| ū
| ū
| vy
| word initially
| back
|-
| ū
| y
| else
| back
|-
|}
===Vowel Raising===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Proto-Slavic to Proto-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| a
| ä
| when raised
| back
|-
| e
| i
| when raised
| front
|-
| i
| i:
| when raised
| treated as i
|-
| o
| ö
| when raised
| front
|-
| u
| u
| ü
| when raised
| back
|-
|}
===Loans from Proto-Slavic===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Proto-Slavic to Proto-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
|-
| z
| s
| all, ! intervocalic
|-
| ž
| d͡z
| all
|-
| ť, ď
| t͡s, d͡z
| all
|-
| x
| s
| all
| all
|-
|}
==Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian: 700 AD - 1300 AD==
===Nasal, Approximant, and Liquid Diphthongs===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| am, an
| ję
| initial, closed syllables
| front
|-
| am, an
| ǫ
| else, closed syllables
| back
|-
| em, en, im, in
| ję
| initial, closed syllables
| front
|-
| em, en, im, in
| ę
| else, closed syllables
| front
|-
| om, on, um, un, ǫ
| vę
| initial, closed syllables
| front
|-
| om, on, um, un, ǫ
| ǫ
| else, closed syllables
| back
| back
|-
|-
| au
| u
| word initially, finally
| back
|-
| au
| av
| word internally
| back
|-
| ai, aji
| ě
| all
| front
|-
| ei, eji, iji, ьji
| ji
| all
| front
|-
| ua, uě, ue, uę
| va, vě ve vę
| all
| back, front
|-
| uo, uu
| u
| all, <ó>
| back
|-
| ui
| y
| all
| back
|-
| or, ol
| ra, la
| all, closed syllables
| back
|-
| er, el, ěr, ěl
| re, le, rě, lě
| all, closed syllables
| front
|-
| ur, ul, ir, il
| vr̩, vl̩, vr̩, vl̩'
| initial, closed syllables
| back
|-
| ur, ul, ir, il
| r̩, l̩, r̩, l̩'
| else, closed syllables
| back
|-
|}
===Vowels===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| jō, jo
| je
| all
| front
|-
| ō
| u
| all
| back
|-
| a
| jě
| after j, stressed-initial
| front
|-
| a
| o
| closed-stressed, all-unstressed, ! final
| back
|-
| ъ
| vъ
| initially
| back
|-
| ъ
| ь
| after j
| front
|-
| e, ě, i, ь
| je, jě, ji, jь
| initially
| front
|-
| e, ě, i, ь, ö
| je, jě, ji, jь, jö
| after all consonants
| front
|-
|}
===Consonants and Clusters===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:60%" | condition (I/A)
|-
| vě
| gia
| initial
|-
| plV
| giV
| initial
|-
| Vns, Vs
| V:, Vʃ
| word finally
|-
| Vns
| V:s
| else
|-
| sp st sk
| ʃp ʃt ʃk
| before back vowels and syllabics
|-
| s
| z
| intervocalically
|-
| x, cs, ps, bs, ss, rs
| s
| all
|-
| mn(j), nьm, mьn
| n(j), nj
| all, ! final
|-
| pt, bt, kt
| t, t, x(t)
| all
|-
| reduplicated syllabes
| collapse, lengthen vowel
| all
|-
|}
==Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian: 1300 AD - 1600 AD==
===Vowels===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| a
| ja
| initial
| back
|-
| jь
| i
| strong, ! initially
| front
|-
| jь
| Ø
| weak
| null
|-
| ь
| je
| strong
| front
|-
| ь
| j
| final, weak
| front
|-
| ь
| Ø
| else
| null
|-
| ъ
| ë
| strong
| front
|-
| ъ
| Ø
| else, compulsary lengthening of prev vowel
| null
|-
| r̩
| ar
| all
| back
|-
| ŕ̩
| ar
| before ''hard'' alveolars
| back
|-
| ŕ̩
| jeʂ
| else
| back
|-
| l̩
| oɫ
| after labials
| back
|-
| l̩, ĺ̩
| ɫu
| after alveolars
| back
|-
| l̩
| eɫ
| after velars
| front
|-
| ĺ̩
| jeɫ
| after labials, before alveolars
| front
|-
| ĺ̩
| jiɫ
| after labials, else
| front
|-
| ĺ̩
| joɫ
| after velars, postalveolars
| back
|-
| ę
| Ø
| word finally
| null
|-
| ji
| i
| word initially, after vowels
| null
|-
| ě
| a
| all
| back
|-
|}
===Consonants and Clusters===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:60%" | condition (I/A)
|-
| lj
| ʎ
| all
|-
| rj
| ʂ
| all
|-
| kj, gj
| t͡ʃ, d͡z
| all
|-
| tj, dj
| t͡ɕ, d͡ʑ
| all
|-
| sj zj
| ɕ ʑ
| all
|-
| sʂ
| ʂ
| all
|-
| nj
| ɲ
| all
|-
|}
==Early-Modern-Sabian to Modern-Sabian: 1600 AD - ~2000 AD==
===Vowels===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| e, e:
| o, o:
| before hard alveolars
| back
|-
| ę, ę:
| e, e:
| all
| front
|-
| ǫ:
| u:
| all
| back
|-
| ǫ
| e
| all
| front
|-
| y, y:
| i, i:
| all
| front
|-
| ë, ë:
| e, e:
| all
| front
|-
| ä, ä:
| ɛ, ɛ:
| all
| front
|-
| ö, ö:
| ɛ, ɛ:
| all
| front
|-
| ü, ü:
| i, i:
| all
| front
|-
|}
===Vowel-Laxing===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:40%" | condition (I/A)
! style="width:20%" | category
|-
| V
| V:
| open-stressed and/or monosyllabic
| front
|-
| a:, a
| a:, ɐ
| all
| back
|-
| ɐ
| a
| stressed
| back
|-
| e:, e
| e:, ɛ
| all
| front
|-
| i:, i
| i:, ɪ
| all
| back
|-
| o:, o
| o:, ɔ
| all
| front
|-
| u:, u
| u:, ʊ
| all
| front
|-
| V:
| V
| before clusters, afficates
| front
|-
|}
===Consonants and Clusters===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Early-Modern-Sabian to Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! style="width:20%" | entry
! style="width:20%" | result
! style="width:60%" | condition (I/A)
|-
| nasals
| assimilate
| all
|-
| C(voiced)C(voiceless)
| C(voiceless)C(voiceless)
| all
|-
| C(voiceless)C(voiced)
| C(voiceless)C(voiced)
| all
|-
| C(voiced)
| C(voiceless)
| word finally
|-
| C(regular)C(palatal)
| C(palatal)C(palatal)
| all
|-
| clusters
| simplify
| sporadically
|-
| kv, gv
| sf
| all
|-
| (affricate)S
| (fricative)S
| all
|-
| l, ɫ, v
| w
| coda
|-
| ʂ, ʐ
| ʃ, ʒ
| all
|-
| s
| Ø
| finally, lengthen previous vowel
|-
|}
= Phonology and Orthography of Sabian=
The phonology and orthography of Modern-Sabian as finalised in the year 1934 after a period of standardisation following the end of WW1. The 1934 orthography effectively served to regularise the mediaeval spellings of Sabian words, in turn based off of mediaeval Polish, and as such is similar to modern Polish orthography while retaining many archaic features that have since been lost elsewhere.
===Consonant Phonology===
* The consonant on the left is "hard", while the consonant on the right is "soft". If only one consonant is present, it is probably only soft.
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Phonology of Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! colspan="1" | Category
! style="width:15%" | bilabial
! style="width:15%" | alveolar
! style="width:15%" | palato-alveolar
! style="width:15%" | post-alveolar
! style="width:15%" | velar
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | nasal
| m (mʲ)
| n (ɲ)
| ɲ
|
| (ŋ)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v+plosive
| b (bʲ)
| d (d͡ʑ)
|
|
| g (d͡z)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v-plosive
| p (pʲ)
| t (t͡ɕ)
|
|
| k (t͡s)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v+affricate
|
| d͡z (d͡ʑ)
| d͡ʑ
| (d͡ʒ)
|
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v-affricate
|
| t͡s (t͡ɕ)
| t͡ɕ
| t͡ʃ
|
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v+fricative
| v (vʲ)
| (z) (ʑ)
| (ʑ)
| (ʒ) (ʑ)
| (ɣ) (ʝ)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v-fricative
| f (fʲ)
| s (ɕ)
| ɕ
| ʃ
| x (ç)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | rh/app/lat
|
| r (ʃ), l~w (ʎ)
| ʎ, j
|
|
|-
|}
===Consonant Orthography===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="60%"|<i>Orthography of Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! colspan="1" | Category
! style="width:15%" | bilabial
! style="width:15%" | alveolar
! style="width:15%" | palato-alveolar
! style="width:15%" | post-alveolar
! style="width:15%" | velar
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | nasal
| m (mi)
| n (ni)
| ń (ni)
|
| n
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v+plosive
| b (bi)
| d (dzi)
|
|
| g (gi)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v-plosive
| p (pi)
| t (zi)
|
|
| k, c (cz)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v+affricate
|
| dz (dzi)
| dź (dzi)
| (cz)
|
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v-affricate
|
| z (zi)
| ź (zi)
| cz
|
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v+fricative
| v, w<sup>2</sup>
| (s)<sup>1</sup>
| ś<sup>1</sup> (si)
| (rz)<sup>1</sup>
| (ch)<sup>1</sup> (chi)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | v-fricative
| f
| s (si), ss (ssi)
| ś (si)
| rz, sz, sch<sup>2</sup>
| ch (chi)
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | rh/app/lat
|
| r, ł
| l, j (i)
|
|
|-
|}
# these voiced consonants are allohphones of their voiceless counterparts, and so are written as though they are voiceless.
# v, sz, rz are used for native words, and w, sch are used for loans from Polish and German in most cases except loans that have been nativised
# rz is used if the [ʃ] comes from [rʲ], while sz and sch are used in all other situations.
# as /s/ becomes [z] between vowels, the sequence /ss/ is used to represent [s] between vowels
===Vowel Phonology===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="100%"|<i>Phonology of Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! colspan="1" | Category
!
! style="width:7%" | front
! style="width:7%" |
! style="width:7%" |
! style="width:7%" | central
! style="width:7%" |
! style="width:7%" |
! style="width:7%" | back
! style="width:7%" |
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! colspan="1" | Laxness
! style="width:4%" | long
! style="width:4%" | tense
! style="width:4%" | lax
! style="width:4%" | long
! style="width:4%" | tense
! style="width:4%" | lax
! style="width:4%" | long
! style="width:4%" | tense
! style="width:4%" | lax
|-
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | high
| i:
| i
| ɪ
|
|
|
| u:
| u
| ʊ
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | mid
| e:
| e
|
|
|
| (ə)
| o:
| o
|
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | mid-low
| ɛ:
| ɛ
| ɛ
|
|
|
| ɔ:
| ɔ
| ɔ
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | low
|
|
|
| a:
| a
| ɐ
|
|
|
|}
===Vowel Orthography===
{| style="background-color:#F0F0F0;width:60%"
|-
! colspan="100%"|<i>Orthography of Modern-Sabian</i>
|-
|- style="background-color:#C0C0C0;"
! colspan="1" | Category
! style="width:21%" | front
! style="width:21%" | central
! style="width:21%" | back
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | high
| i, y
|aa
| u, ó
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | mid
| e
| (e, a)
| o
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | mid-low
| e, ä, ai
|
| o, au
|-
! style="background-color:#c0cfe4;" | low
|
| a
|
|}
|}
* the sequences [ɔn], [ɔ:n] and [ɛn], [ɛ:n] can be written as /ą/ and /ę/ respectively if they originate from Polish or German.
* for sequences of two vowels that occur in diaresis, a (silent) -h- is inserted between them, providing that they are the same vowel, e.g. /gé:.ɛ/ <gehe>

Latest revision as of 03:24, 19 June 2022

Main Page: user:Aleisi Galan This page covers the evolution of a Polish-Carpathian based Romance language with a large amount of Slavic influence and a divergent evolution both in vocabulary and grammar. It covers the evolution in stages, with both the phonological and morphological covered.

Phonological Evolution of Sabian

Vulgar Latin to Proto Sabian: 400 AD - 700 AD

Consonants and Clusters

Vulgar Latin to Proto-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A)
h Ø all
nct, mpt nt all
gn ɲ all
{sc, cc}, gg ʃt͡ʃ, zd͡z before front vowels
c, ch t͡ʃ word initially, before front vowels
p, b, t, d, c, m Ø word finally
pr, br, tr, dr, cr, gr draw stressed position forwards polysyllabic
p, b v intervocalically, p-sporadic
sp, st, sk jьsp, jьst, jьsk word initially

Vowels

Vulgar Latin to Proto-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
ī raises prev. vowel all N/A
V V: stressed N/A
V: V unstressed N/A
ā, a a all back
e, æ e all front
e ě stressed front
e ь else front
oV o all back
o uo stressed, open back
o o stressed, else back
o o, ъ unstressed back
ē, i, œ, y e stressed front
ē ь unstressed front
ē, e, i, ī, ȳ j next to vowels approximant
u ō all back
ō ō stressed back
ō ъ unstressed back
ī, ȳ i all front
ū vy word initially back
ū y else back

Vowel Raising

Proto-Slavic to Proto-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
a ä when raised back
e i when raised front
i i: when raised treated as i
o ö when raised front
u ü when raised back

Loans from Proto-Slavic

Proto-Slavic to Proto-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A)
z s all, ! intervocalic
ž d͡z all
ť, ď t͡s, d͡z all
x s all

Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian: 700 AD - 1300 AD

Nasal, Approximant, and Liquid Diphthongs

Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
am, an initial, closed syllables front
am, an ǫ else, closed syllables back
em, en, im, in initial, closed syllables front
em, en, im, in ę else, closed syllables front
om, on, um, un, ǫ initial, closed syllables front
om, on, um, un, ǫ ǫ else, closed syllables back
au u word initially, finally back
au av word internally back
ai, aji ě all front
ei, eji, iji, ьji ji all front
ua, uě, ue, uę va, vě ve vę all back, front
uo, uu u all, <ó> back
ui y all back
or, ol ra, la all, closed syllables back
er, el, ěr, ěl re, le, rě, lě all, closed syllables front
ur, ul, ir, il vr̩, vl̩, vr̩, vl̩' initial, closed syllables back
ur, ul, ir, il r̩, l̩, r̩, l̩' else, closed syllables back

Vowels

Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
jō, jo je all front
ō u all back
a after j, stressed-initial front
a o closed-stressed, all-unstressed, ! final back
ъ initially back
ъ ь after j front
e, ě, i, ь je, jě, ji, jь initially front
e, ě, i, ь, ö je, jě, ji, jь, jö after all consonants front

Consonants and Clusters

Proto-Sabian to Old-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A)
gia initial
plV giV initial
Vns, Vs V:, Vʃ word finally
Vns V:s else
sp st sk ʃp ʃt ʃk before back vowels and syllabics
s z intervocalically
x, cs, ps, bs, ss, rs s all
mn(j), nьm, mьn n(j), nj all, ! final
pt, bt, kt t, t, x(t) all
reduplicated syllabes collapse, lengthen vowel all

Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian: 1300 AD - 1600 AD

Vowels

Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
a ja initial back
i strong, ! initially front
Ø weak null
ь je strong front
ь j final, weak front
ь Ø else null
ъ ë strong front
ъ Ø else, compulsary lengthening of prev vowel null
ar all back
ŕ̩ ar before hard alveolars back
ŕ̩ jeʂ else back
after labials back
l̩, ĺ̩ ɫu after alveolars back
after velars front
ĺ̩ jeɫ after labials, before alveolars front
ĺ̩ jiɫ after labials, else front
ĺ̩ joɫ after velars, postalveolars back
ę Ø word finally null
ji i word initially, after vowels null
ě a all back

Consonants and Clusters

Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A)
lj ʎ all
rj ʂ all
kj, gj t͡ʃ, d͡z all
tj, dj t͡ɕ, d͡ʑ all
sj zj ɕ ʑ all
ʂ all
nj ɲ all

Early-Modern-Sabian to Modern-Sabian: 1600 AD - ~2000 AD

Vowels

Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
e, e: o, o: before hard alveolars back
ę, ę: e, e: all front
ǫ: u: all back
ǫ e all front
y, y: i, i: all front
ë, ë: e, e: all front
ä, ä: ɛ, ɛ: all front
ö, ö: ɛ, ɛ: all front
ü, ü: i, i: all front

Vowel-Laxing

Old-Sabian to Early-Modern-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A) category
V V: open-stressed and/or monosyllabic front
a:, a a:, ɐ all back
ɐ a stressed back
e:, e e:, ɛ all front
i:, i i:, ɪ all back
o:, o o:, ɔ all front
u:, u u:, ʊ all front
V: V before clusters, afficates front

Consonants and Clusters

Early-Modern-Sabian to Modern-Sabian
entry result condition (I/A)
nasals assimilate all
C(voiced)C(voiceless) C(voiceless)C(voiceless) all
C(voiceless)C(voiced) C(voiceless)C(voiced) all
C(voiced) C(voiceless) word finally
C(regular)C(palatal) C(palatal)C(palatal) all
clusters simplify sporadically
kv, gv sf all
(affricate)S (fricative)S all
l, ɫ, v w coda
ʂ, ʐ ʃ, ʒ all
s Ø finally, lengthen previous vowel

Phonology and Orthography of Sabian

The phonology and orthography of Modern-Sabian as finalised in the year 1934 after a period of standardisation following the end of WW1. The 1934 orthography effectively served to regularise the mediaeval spellings of Sabian words, in turn based off of mediaeval Polish, and as such is similar to modern Polish orthography while retaining many archaic features that have since been lost elsewhere.

Consonant Phonology

  • The consonant on the left is "hard", while the consonant on the right is "soft". If only one consonant is present, it is probably only soft.
Phonology of Modern-Sabian
Category bilabial alveolar palato-alveolar post-alveolar velar
nasal m (mʲ) n (ɲ) ɲ (ŋ)
v+plosive b (bʲ) d (d͡ʑ) g (d͡z)
v-plosive p (pʲ) t (t͡ɕ) k (t͡s)
v+affricate d͡z (d͡ʑ) d͡ʑ (d͡ʒ)
v-affricate t͡s (t͡ɕ) t͡ɕ t͡ʃ
v+fricative v (vʲ) (z) (ʑ) (ʑ) (ʒ) (ʑ) (ɣ) (ʝ)
v-fricative f (fʲ) s (ɕ) ɕ ʃ x (ç)
rh/app/lat r (ʃ), l~w (ʎ) ʎ, j

Consonant Orthography

Orthography of Modern-Sabian
Category bilabial alveolar palato-alveolar post-alveolar velar
nasal m (mi) n (ni) ń (ni) n
v+plosive b (bi) d (dzi) g (gi)
v-plosive p (pi) t (zi) k, c (cz)
v+affricate dz (dzi) dź (dzi) (cz)
v-affricate z (zi) ź (zi) cz
v+fricative v, w2 (s)1 ś1 (si) (rz)1 (ch)1 (chi)
v-fricative f s (si), ss (ssi) ś (si) rz, sz, sch2 ch (chi)
rh/app/lat r, ł l, j (i)
  1. these voiced consonants are allohphones of their voiceless counterparts, and so are written as though they are voiceless.
  2. v, sz, rz are used for native words, and w, sch are used for loans from Polish and German in most cases except loans that have been nativised
  3. rz is used if the [ʃ] comes from [rʲ], while sz and sch are used in all other situations.
  4. as /s/ becomes [z] between vowels, the sequence /ss/ is used to represent [s] between vowels

Vowel Phonology

Phonology of Modern-Sabian
Category front central back
Laxness long tense lax long tense lax long tense lax
high i: i ɪ u: u ʊ
mid e: e (ə) o: o
mid-low ɛ: ɛ ɛ ɔ: ɔ ɔ
low a: a ɐ

Vowel Orthography

Orthography of Modern-Sabian
Category front central back
high i, y aa u, ó
mid e (e, a) o
mid-low e, ä, ai o, au
low a
  • the sequences [ɔn], [ɔ:n] and [ɛn], [ɛ:n] can be written as /ą/ and /ę/ respectively if they originate from Polish or German.
  • for sequences of two vowels that occur in diaresis, a (silent) -h- is inserted between them, providing that they are the same vowel, e.g. /gé:.ɛ/ <gehe>