Larethian

During an exceptionally boring lecture earlier this morning, I started sketching
a bit on 'Larethian' (from the Meghean name of the country - native name unknown
this far), a language that until today lacked any substance except being the
source of Meghean _corth_ "king".

It's not anything like fleshed out yet, but some basics have been settled. It's
an fusional accusative language meant to have a faintly Germanic feel. Two
numbers and at least three cases (NOM, ACC, and a third one used with at least
some prepositions and adverbial phrases - let's call it JAC, for
"jackallative"!). The phonemic inventory isn't set yet, but your standard stops
/p t k b d g/, a fricative series /f T s x/ - I might yet add /S/ - that becomes
voiced between voiced segments (but never in word-initial or -final position),
probably three nasals /n m N/, at least one liquid /r/, glides /j w/, five
vowels /i e a o u/ with some subphonemic umlaut effects (/o u/ > [2 y] before a
following /i/ or /j/, possibly also raising before /a/ and/or centralization of
/i e/ to [i\ 3] before /u/). /x/ will be [h] in word-initial position, hence
orthography |h|. /T/ is provisionally spelt |z| (blame the Spanish!).

Tentative declension of _korz_ "king":

.         SG                       PL
NOM       korz  [kO4T]             korzu   [kO4TU]
ACC       korza [kO4Ta] or [kQ4Ta] korzum  [kO4TUm]
JAC       korzi [k24TI]            korzim  [k24TIm]

There will be multiple declensions; I however intend this be the commonest one.
Final nasals might optionally be realized as nasalization of preceeding vowels.

Adjs will probably agree in number and case, and generally behave
nominalesquely.

At least some prepositions are cliticized - this far I know _s-_ "of". Eg _maha
skorzi_ [maGa sk24TI] "might of (the) king" (no articles).

As usual, I've put verbs last on the to-do list! Both tense and aspect will
probably be marked, however. There'll be a subjunctive, too, I suspect, and
perhaps further moods (indicative and jussive/imperative go without saying!).

Comments this far?

                                              Andreas

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