Hlou-Shum languages
Hlou-Shum (Hlou: Ntzog Ntzog Schlaub-Xub; Ko: lees yoo ndoigh Hloodh-Xoo) is a name for a language family that includes Hlou. Most modern Hlou-Shum languages are tonal. The proto-language, Proto-Hlou-Shum (PHS), is about 2500 years old. The family is based on the idea of recasting IE languages as Hmong-like languages. TODO: actually look at OC more
Family tree
- Proto-Hlou-Shum
Timeline
Proto-Hlou-Shum: 2500 years BP
Writing system
Proto-Hlou-Shum and most early Hlou-Shum languages were written with a system of logographs. Nowadays, there are four main writing systems:
- Schräd Schlaub, used to write Hlou, Gloob, and Clooa
- ?????
Phonology
Phonotactics
A Proto-Hlou-Shum word had the structure
(preinitial) + (C)C(r/l)V(C)(C).
Preinitials were unstressed derivational prefixes.
Initials
- p t tθ ts tx ḱ k kw ʔ
- bh dh dθh dsh dxh ģh gh gwh
- b d dθ ds dx ǵ g gw
- f θ s x h
- F Θ S X H = voiced/breathy f θ s x h
- m n ń ŋ y r l w
- M N Ń Ŋ Y R L W = breathy counterparts
θ-series > ɬ-series in some descendants
Ko and Clooa gain uvulars through velars + r/l.
Nuclei
a e i o u ə ai au ei ou iə uə
Coda
Allowed finals:
- -p -t -k
- -mp -nt -nk
- -m -n -l -w -y
- -ʔ -s
- nasal + s or ʔ
- plosive + s
Tones
PHS was non-tonal. The tones in daughter languages are actually reflexes of final types in PHS:
- A: -0, -N, -l
- B: -ʔ
- C: -s
- D: -t
- E: -p, -k
The incidence of tones A, B, C in Hlou-Shum words follows the ratio 2:1:1.
Grammar
Proto-Hlou-Shum was head-initial like Vietnamese.
Reduplication
Total reduplication was used for noun plurals, verbal imperatives, and adverbs from adjectives.
Some descendants turned this into partial reduplication.
Derivation
Sometimes two prefixes could be used.
- s-: nominalization, "metonymy", adjectivizer
- louʔ 'spring (season)' > slouʔ 'springlike, where there is spring'
- -ʔ: nominalization
- lou 'to plant' > louʔ 'spring (season)'
- m- preinitial
- r- preinitial
- lenition/retroflexion in Hlou
- θ- preinitial
- changes some consonants in Shum
- maybe it's the same as the r-preinitial
Reflexes
Hlou
Initials
Initial clusters (not every cluster may be allowed)
- ḱ ǵ ś > tx dx x
- pl tl ḱl kl ʔl > pl tl schl kl schl
- npl ntl nḱl nkl > npl ntl nkl nkl
- bl dl ǵl gl > bl dl gl gl
- nbl ndl nǵl ngl > nbl ndl ngl ngl
- fl vl sl śl > fl fl schl schl
- tzl tsl > tz ts
- ntzl ntsl ntxl > ntz nts ntx
- dz ds dxl > dz ds dx
- ndzl ndsl ndxl > nl nl nl
- ml nl > ml nl
- pr, br > pf, v
- kr, gr > sch
- tr, dr > tr, dr
- sp, st, str, stl, sc, sk > schm, schn, schr, schl, x, sch
- sm, sn, sṇ, sń > schm, schn, schr, x
- stz sts stx > tz ts tx
The n-preinitial turns some consonants into prenasalized consonants
The r-preinitial (some koineization)
- r-p r-t r-ḱ r-k r-ʔ > f tr sch sch h
- r-np r-nt r-nḱ r-nk > mpf ntr nk nk
- r-b r-d r-ǵ r-g > v dr j g
- r-nb r-nd r-nǵ r-ng > mpf ndr ng ng
- r-f r-v r-z r-s r-x r-h > f w ntz nts ntx h
- r-tz r-ts r-tx > z s x
- r-ntz r-nts r-ntx > ntz nts ntx
- r-dz r-ds r-dx > j j j
- r-ndz r-nds r-ndx > ntz nts ntx
- r-m r-n r-ń r-y r-l r-w > w n j j drl r
- r-Cl > drl, trl, ndrl, ntrl
-k > glottal stop final
Tones
Tone split from voiceless initial/voiced initial?
| Tone class | Voiceless initial (5/8) | Voiced initial (3/8) |
|---|---|---|
| A (10/27) | -b (23%) | -0 (14%) |
| B (5/27) | -n (12%) | -s (6.9%) |
| C (5/27) | -s (12%) | -g (6.9%) |
| D (4/27) | -ß (9.3%) | -d (5.6%) |
| E (3/27) | -hn (6.9%) | -h (4.2%) |
Among non-E syllables the distribution is:
b (23%) > s (19%) > 0 (14%) > n (12%) > ß (9.3%) > g (6.9%) > d (5.6%)
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, D.l > ll
f > h
Dp Db Dt Dd Dk Dg > f v th dh ch gh
f v th dh ch gh > p bh t dh k gh
x > tl
z > ś, s > s
k' > ś, g' > jh
- kw > p
- gw > v > vh in shum
- w > w > v in shum
Sample
ʔouh ʔak zamp-zamp
The Sheep and the Horses