Re: Some Sound Changes

Rob Haden wrote:
> 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/
> /eu/ > /ü/
> /oi/ > /ö/
> /ou/ > /u/
All these are eminently reasonable, and attested.

> /¿E/* > /i:/
I think pharyngeals (as well as uvulars and glottals) tend to _lower_ and
sometimes retract vowels, so IMO [&] or even [A] or [Q] might result.

> /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:/
Since you've already got rid of the short-vowel diphthongs, why not let
these create new ones. Sanskrit does something similar:  ai, au > e, o--
but a:i > ai and a:u > au.

It might be fun to experiment with mis-phasing-- i.e when two vowels of
differing roundness come together, switch the roundness.  Example:  Germ. au
umlauts to äu, which ought to be [Eu] or similar, instead it comes out [oi]
(switching front/back as well as roundness). Other similar exs.-- in
Achehnese, *-u > e@ (weird!), and *-i > -o@, but -@w in another dialect. It
could work equally well switching the height-- Germ. **[Eu] could have >
[io] ~ [jo] or [jO].  Hmm, I've just given myself some ideas for Kash
dialects...........

> /ha/ > /a:/
> /he/ > /e:/
> /ho/ > /o:/
>
I can't see a preceding /h/ having much affect at all; following a vowel,
yes, and between like vowels, easily (aha > a: etc.).  Of course in a
conlang, all rules are subject to change without notice.:-)))))))))