Re: Swahili on ice (was: Biwa)

John! Amazing! You really got me going. Although I took
it one step further to see where it all ended up.

Oh. I've been computerless for about a week. That's
why some replies are a bit belated.

The sound changes are basically these:

---
1. move of stress to first syllable  (rafíki > ráfiki 'friend')
2. syncope (loss of unstressed syllable)  (rafki)
3. umlaut  (räfki) (a lowers; o,u round; i,e front)
4. apocope (loss of final vowel)  (räfk)

/g/ -> [j] / _ [+front] [-cons]  (gär -> jär)

stop -> fric / V _ V  (däktr -> däxþr)

voiceless fric -> voiced / V _ V (räfk = [r&vk])

h -> x  ([x])  (dahabu --> döxp)

umlauted a -> hooked-o -> ö ([2])

final stops are devoiced  (baba --> bap)
---

Anyway. Here are the results:

(Final r, n, l are syllabic.)

Gomp mött  zöng   <  n-gombe watatu zangu
cows three my
'My three cows'

bap    ja  taef   <  baba ya taifa
father GEN nation
'Father of the nation'

ðöxp   'guld'          fäð   'silver, money'
tot    'child'         pytt  'small child'
gomp   'cow'           bap   'father'
ja      GEN            taef  'nation'
wött   'three'         zöng  1SG:POSS
jär    'car, wagon'    kölm  'pencil'
räfk   'friend'        däxtr 'doctor'
þelðn  'thirty'        täfðl 'please'

>  A: Hujambo.
         Hi/Hello.
                    Hujp!

>  B: Sijambo.
         Hi/Hello.
                    Syjp!

>  A: Habari gani?
         How are you (lit. what are the news)?
                    Hävr jän?

>  B: Habari nzuri (sana).
         Good (very).
                     Hävr zyr.

>  B: Na wewe je?
         How about you(yourself)?
                     Na wew je?

>  A: Mzima.
         Fine (lit. I am healthy).
                     Zem.

>  B: Nyumbani hawajambo?
         Is everyone at home well?
                     Jybn hvöjb?

>  A: Wote hawajambo.
         All are fine.
                     Vöt hvöjb.

>  A: Habari za kazi?
         How is (your) work?
                     Hävr za hjäz?

>  B: Kazi inaendelea vizuri.
         Work is fine (lit. work is going well).
                     Hjäz inendl vizr.

>  A: Haya, tutaonana.
         O.k. we will see each other again (later).
                     Haj, tutnan.

>  B: Haya, kwa heri ya kuonana.
         O.k.,Goodbye (lit. goodbye to see each other again).
                     Haj, kva her ja kvönn.

daniel

--
<> QHEIL RYNENYA ALANDEA <> daniel.andreasson@telia.com <>
<>           RINYA LAWEA <> Daniel Andreasson           <>