new language Gamma: Phonology

[qiihoskeh]

ProtoLanguage Phonemes

ProtoLanguage Consonants

*p	*t	*k	*q
*m	*n
*f	*s	*h
	*z
	*l

ProtoLanguage Vowels

*i

*e

*a

*u

The ProtoLanguage had a pitch accent, probably "terrace-toned": a word was either MHL* or LM+HL*. Possibly allow roots requiring the first suffix to take the accent.

Orthography

Consonant Orthography and Derivation

*p	[p]	p	*t	[t]	t	[ts)]	c	*k	[k]	k	*q	[?]	'
	[b]	b		[d]	d	[dz)]	j		[g]	g
*m	[m]	m	*n	[n], [N]	n	[J]	ñ
*f	[f]	f	*s	[s]	s	[S]	x	*h	[h], [X]	h
			*z	[z]	z	[Z]	r
*u	[w]	w	*l	[l]	l			*i	[j]	y

Consonants not followed by vowels are moric except for stops followed by y, w, or l.

Vowel Orthography and Derivation

	+ *i		+ *e		+ *a		+ *u		*C or #
*i	[i:]	ii	[jE]	ye	[ja]	ya	[jo]	yo	[i] or []	i or 0
*e	[Ei]	ei	[E:]	ee	[ao]	ao	[Eo]	eo	[E]	e
*a	[aE]	ae	[a:]	aa	[Q:]	oa	[o:]	oo	[a]	a
*u	[wi]	wi	[wE]	we	[wa]	wa	[I\:]	uu	[I\] or []	u or 0
*0									[o]	o

*i becomes 0 after *t, *s, or *z if there is strong consonant affinity.
*u becomes 0 between consonants with strong affinity.

Sound Changes

• *t, *s, *z, and *n become c, x, r, and ñ (respectively) before *i


• *i becomes y before *e, *a, *u


• *u becomes w before *i, *e, *a


• y disappears after c, x, r, and ñ


• o gets inserted between consonants of weak affinity, or to limit coda size; this may happen before consonant voicing


• *q becomes 0 between vowels


• *p, *t, *k, and c become b, d, g, and j (respectively):
  
  • between vowels
  
  
  • between a vowel and *z or r
  
  
  • between *z or r and a vowel


• dropping of i and u occurs after consonant voicing ???






• vowels shift according to the Vowel Orthography and Derivation table


• c and j become [ts)] and [dz)]