Swahili on ice (was: Biwa)

daniel andreasson wrote:

> I suppose I _could_ try and make Swahili go through some
> _major_ sound changes, but still...
Umlauted vowels:  ä  ö  ü
Edh: ð

How about this:

 A: Hujambo.
             Huðambe.
                           Hi/Hello.
 B: Sijambo.
             Siðambe.
                           Hi/Hello.
 A: Habari gani?
             Havär gän?
                           How are you (lit. what are the news)?
 B: Habari nzuri (sana).
             Havär nizür (san).
                           Good (very).
 B: Na wewe je?
             Na veve ðe?
                           How about you(yourself)?
 A: Mzima.
             Imzim.
                           Fine (lit. I am healthy).
 B: Nyumbani hawajambo?
             Jumbän hvaðambe?
                           Is everyone at home well?
 A: Wote hawajambo.
             Vote hvaðambe.
                           All are fine.
 A: Habari za kazi?
             Havär za käz?
                           How is (your) work?
 B: Kazi inaendelea vizuri.
             Käz inendeleha vizür.
                           Work is fine (lit. work is going well).
 A: Haya, tutaonana.
             Haj, tutonan.
                           O.k. we will see each other again (later).
 B: Haya, kwa heri ya kuonana.
            Haj, kwa her ja konan.
                           O.k.,Goodbye (lit. goodbye to see each other again).

Sound changes:

        stress becomes initial (not visible orthographically)
        intervocalic voiced stops become voiced fricatives
        Swahili j (voiced coronal stop, IPA turned-f) becomes ð
        final a, u disappear
        final i disappears, fronts the vowel in the preceding syllable
        final o, e turn to schwa (written e)
        the first of two vowels in hiatus disappears, unless stressed
                in which case an epenthetic h appears
        w > v, any preceding vowel disappears (unless stressed)
        (purely orthographic change) y > j
        ny > j (nasality lost)
        syllabic m, n adopt the vowel of the next syllable (before the nasal)

--
There is / one art                   || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
no more / no less                    || http://www.reutershealth.com
to do / all things                   || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
with art- / lessness                 \\ -- Piet Hein