Re: Some Sound Changes

Rob Haden sikyal:

> Hey,
>
> I have some sound changes that I'd like to have in my language, but I'm not
> sure how realistic they are:
>
> /ai/ > /e/
> /au/ > /o/
> /ei/ > /i/
These are quite common.

> /eu/ > /ü/
> /oi/ > /ö/
These two seem a bit strange, though not impossible. Mostly, I just expect
them to be more similar to each other, so there is some consistency in how
diphthongs react. It's not required, though.

> /¿E/* > /i:/
This is unlikely. Pharyngeals tend to lower vowels, not raise them.

> /Vi:/ > /i:/ or /Vi/ (which one is more realistic?)
> /a:i:/ > /ai/ or /e:/ (" ")
> /e:i:/ > /ei/ or /i:/ (" ")
> /o:i:/ > /oi/ or /ö:/
> /a:i/ > /ai/ or /e:/
> /e:i/ > /ei/ or /i:/
> /o:i/ > /oi/ or /ö:/
> /a:u/ > /au/ or /o:/
> /e:u/ > /eu/ or /ü:/
> /o:u/ > /ou/ or /u:/
These are all plenty likely.

> /ha/ > /a:/
> /he/ > /e:/
> /ho/ > /o:/
Very unlikely, and perhaps impossible. Onset consonants generally do not
provoke length in their following vowels.


--
Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/blog

Jesus asked them, "Who do you say that I am?"

And they answered, "You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground
of our being, the kerygma in which we find the ultimate meaning of our
interpersonal relationship."

And Jesus said, "What?"