Re: Not, I repeat, this is Not a Translation Exercise...

On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, andrew wrote:

> On Sat, 10 Jul 1999, Padraic Brown wrote:
>
> You have my attention, but I want it back when you're finished with it!
Consider it given back. :)

> yno a-* alch gos.
> one has some thing.
>
>
> * I decided that Brithenig needs a consonant to break up vowel clusters
> like these but I haven't decided which one it's going to be.  I favour
> using '-dd' in Brithenig because there is a little used sound change rule
> that intervocalic yod can become -dd-.  Possibly using '-t' or '-d' would
> be more natural for Brithenig's origins and history.  So I'm seeking
> opinions.
I kind of like the idea of dd breaking up such pugnacious vowels.
Usually, Kernu makes do with some kind of glide between such vowels (like
la-h-acua or y-y-incci);  except where one of its several (usually) silent
case endings finds itself between vowels.  Then the ending miraculously
finds its voice and is used to separate vowels:

il incus = /I'lINku/ but il incus uchoel = /I'lINku'suxoW(@)l/
the anvil                the anvil of the gods

[The "W" represents a characteristic Dumnonian sound that results from the
splitting of certain final syllables (/or/ and /El/ & al) into bisyllables
separated by a barely discernable labial glide element.  In the North,
Kernu speakers can be detected a mile away because of this, while in the
South, Brithenig speakers are equally discernable, since they can't quite
get it right.]

y chathes = /i'xaT(@)/ but y chathes epistolants = /i'xat@sEpistul'ant/
the cats                   the cats letter-writing

[Notice the rare fifth mutation (hardening) of chathes to chates.  Of
course, it _wouldn't_ show up in the orthography!]

la acua mhrigid = /la~'nyaxwa~'vrIdjED/
the water cold

[Hm. Spelling's not much help here!]

Padraic.

> - andrew.