Re: Proto-Conlang rough sketch (was: Re: First Post and . . . )

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 07:44:00 -0400, Jason Monti <yukatado@...> wrote:

>The phonology has changed quite a bit from my first post wherein:
>
>(s)(C)(l/w)V(n/r/y)(C)(s) was possible.
>
>Someone had suggested that instead of palatalized/labialized consonants, I
>make the core "V" into /e/, /ie/, and /ue/, so I did. This opened up a lot
>of possiblities.
>
>I've since moved the /l/ over to the right hand side of the vowel.
>
>The idea of diphthongs got me to thinking, and I realize that while I was at
>it, if I'm going to change the /w/ into /u/ and /y/ into /i/, and mobe the
>/i/ up front, then I could increase my root possiblities if I added /a/ in
>there as well. Finally, I decided that having semivowels on either side of
>the vowel at the same time is perfectly okay.
>
>Along the way, I decide to get rid of the final stop+/s/ clusters, and
>finally decided to do away with the initial /s/+stop clusters as well.
>
>So now my core possiblities (between the initial and final consonants, if
>there are any, are:
>
>ae
>ael
>aen
>aer
>el
>en
>er
>ie
>iel
>ien
>ier
>ue
>uel
>uen
>uer
>
>Finally, all roots ending in a voiced consonant have an added schwa.
>
>So, here's the final product:
>
>{b c d ð f g h j k l m n p r s t þ v w y z} + {a i u} + e + {l n r} + {bə c
>də ðə_ f gə h jə k lə mə nə p rə s t þ və wə yə zə}
>
>Or more simply: (C)(a/i/u)e(l/n/r)(C)(ə)
>
>There are only three limitations:
>
>1) /e/ cannot appear by itself in a CVC: it _must_ have at least one of the
>six availble semivowels adjacent to it, so the smallest morphemes (in their
>e-grade) are: /ae/, /el/, /en/, /er/, /ie/, and /ue/.
>
>2a) An initial /y/ cannot be followed by an /i/: no /yi/
>2b) However, /ya/ and /yu/ are possible initials.
>
>3a) An initial /w/ cannot be followed by a /u/: no /wu/
>3b) However, /wa/ and /wi/ are possible initials.
Guess what else I forgot:

Why I thought there were only three limitations is beyond me. The rest have
to do with {l n r}+final consonants:

4) /l/ + {lə} is not allowed.

5) /n/ + {h mə nə} is not allowed.

5) /r/ + {rə} is not allowed.

Not really a limitation, but a phonological change:

/n/ > [m] / _p, _bə, _f, _və, _mə, _wə
/n/ > [N] / _k, _gə

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