Re: Austronesian style Latin...

Hallo!

On Sun, 6 May 2007 05:05:47 -0700, Barry Garcia wrote:

> Not quite, but if you remember back a bit, I mentioned interest in
> applying Austronesian sound changes to Latin to come up with an
> Austronesian influenced Romance language.
>
> Well....
>
> I decided against that (well, not totally true, but read on), but
> decided to do something more like a creole (in that its got two
> linguistic influences, and a simpler grammar than both languages would
> have), mixing up elements of Malayo-Polynesian languages with Latin.
> Not sure what to call it though.
>
> Anyway, here are the sound changes. These are probably not all 100%
> plausible (well, maybe, they sound fine to me), but are more about
> getting the look and sound right. Of course, the sound isn't 100%
> convincing Malayo-Polynesian (at least Philippine style), but I think
> in many ways, it looks close.
Sounds like an interesting idea.  I'll take a closer look.

> I've used Ralph Penny's "A History of the Spanish Language" as a sort
> of guide for the sound changes I made.
>
> Phonology: Very much basic to Philippine languages and somewhat to
> Indonesian:
>
> Vowels: a, e, i, o, u
>
> Diphthongs: aj (ay), au (aw), ej (ey), oj (oy)
>
> Consonants: b, d, k, g, h, tS (c), dZ (j), l, m, n, N (ng), J (ny), p,
> r, s, S (sy), t, w, J (y)
                      ^
You probably mean /j/.

> I decided to have the vowels follow mostly what happened with Spanish
> for convenience, as outlined by Ralph Penny, but to add in a few
> changes of my own.
>
> Where Latin short E and O became /je/ and /we/ in Spanish, they became
> /aj/ - ay and /oj/ - oy
Why /aj/ and not /ej/?  (Why not?)

> Intial vowels in open syllables tend to get dropped to reduce word
> which is more than 3 syllables long down to 3 syllables (what seems to
> be permissible at least in Philippine roots).
>
> Word final E mostly drops except in monosyllabic words, or where it
> may create monosyllabic words. Where it remains it changes to /i/,
> unless preceeded by a glide.
>
> Syllable final O changes to /u/
>
> Stressed E and O, and E and O in a word Initial syllable change to /i/
> and /u/ (might not be too realistic, but it gives me the right look
> and sound), *unless* it causes homonyms to appear.
>
> An epenthetic vowel /a/ is often added to monosyllabic words that are
> used either as nouns, verbs, or adjectives and adverbs
>
>
> Consonants show the most change, and influence the sound of Latinu.
>
> Consonants with following glides show some changes.
>
> BI, BE /bj/ remain as /bj/ - by: RUBEU > lubyu, NOVIU > nubyu
> CI, CE /kj/ remains as /kj/ -  ky: CALCEA > kakya, FACIE > pakye
I'd expect these to palatalize, giving /tS/, but why not?
An interesting departure from "common Romance" ways.

> DI, DE /dj/ change to /dZ/ - j: RADIARE > rajal
> GI, GE /gj/ remains as /gj/ - gy: FAGEA > pagya, EXAGIU > sagyu
As with CI, CE, I'd expect /dZ/, but see above.

> NI, NE became /J/ - ny: ARANEA > ranya, VINEA > binya
> PI, PE /pj/ remain as /pj/ - py: APIU > apyu, PEORE > apyol
> RE, RI /4j/ changes to /lj/ -ly: AUGURIU > gulyu. AREA > alya
> SI, SE /sj/ change to /Sj/ - sy: MANSIONE > masyung
> TI, TE /tj/ change to /tS/ - c: PUTEU > pocu, MARTIU > malcu
>
> Most intial and intervocalic consonants remain the same, except two:
>
> F /f/ becomes /p/: FAGEA > pagya, FARINA > palina
> R /4/ becomes /l/ in all positions: RENIONE > linyung, HAC HORA > akula
> RR /r/ becomes /4/: CARRU > karu, SERRA > sayra
>
> Only a couple of consonants change from Latin:
>
> R becomes L /l/ everywhere: RACEMU > lakimu, DORSUM > dulsu, TAURU >
> tulu, RADIARE > rajal
>
> Final N velarizes at the ends of words: MANSION(E) > masyung (e drops first)
>
> Consonant clusters show the most effects of sound changes.
>
> BD > d - DEBITA > dida
> BL > by - NEBULA > naybya
> BR > pr - LIBERARE > lipral
> BT > d - CUBITU > kodu
> CM > m - DECIMU > daymu
> CN > n  - DURACINU > duranu
> CT > t - PLACITU > pyatu
> CT + glide > c /tS/ - DIRECTIARE > dilecal
> DC > k - DUODECIM > adok
> DC > k - LUDICARE > lukal
> DN > n - FRIDENANDU > prinantu
> DR > j /dZ/ - HEDERA > ayja
> FC > k - SANCTIFICARE > sangikal
> FR > pr - BIFERA > bipra
> LC, LQ > lk - ALIQUOD > alkod
> LD > ld - SOLIDU > suldu
> ML > l - CUMULU > kulu
> ML > ny - TREMULARE > cinyal
Under which conditions does /ml/ become /l/ and under which, /J/?

> MN > n - HOMINE > uni
> MPL > nl - POMPELONE > punlong
> MPR > pr - TEMPORANU > tipranu
> MPT > nt - COMPUTARE > kuntal
> MR > my - HUMERU > umyu
> MT > nt - SEMITA > sinta
> NC > ngk - DOMINICU > dumingku
> NDC > ngk - VINDICARE > bingkal
> NDN > n - LENDINE > layni
> NGN > n - SANGUINE > sani
> NM > nm - ANIMA > anma
> NR > ny - GENERU > genyu
> NR > ny - INGENERARE > ngenyal
> NS > s - MENSA > mesa
> NT > nt - BONITATE > buntat
> NTC > ng - PANTICE > pangi
> PD > d - CUPIDITIA > kudica
> PL > py . POPULU > pupyu
> PR > pr - PAUPERE > pupri
> PT > t - CAPITALE > katal
> PTM > tn - SEPTIMANA > sitnana
> RDC > lk - QUATTUORDECIM > katulki
> RS > ls - DORSUM > dulsu
> SC > k - RESCARE > likal
> SCP > p - EPISCOPU > pipu
> SL > sy /Sj/ - ISULA > isya
> SN > sn - ASINU > asnu
> SPT > st - HOSPITALE > ustal
> STC > sk - MASTICARE > maskal
> TC > k - PORTATICU > pultaku
> TL > l > CAPITULU > kapilu
> TM > tn > EPITHEMA > pitna
> TN > tn - CATENATU > katnatu
> TR > c /tS/ - LATERALE > lacal
> TTR > c /tS/ - LITTERA > lica
> VT > d - CIVITATE > kidat
These all make sense.

> You'll see inconsistencies with historical Latin to Old Spanish sound
> changes (such as a lack of palatalization of certain consonants, but
> I'm OK with that).
>
> The only other bits I've got are that verbs do not conjugate, and
> remain in their "infinitive forms. So, all of those wonderful Romance
> conjugations don't exist in this language. The only way to say when
> something happens is to use a time indicator:
>
> tinil yu - I have, I am having,
> ya tinil yu - I had (already).
> akula bidil yu - I have (at the moment)
> mani tinil yu - I had yesterday
> loyku tinil yu - I will have
Where do _ya_, _akula_, _mani_ and _loyku_ come from?

> There is also a VSO word order, just as you find in Philippine
> languages as the default.
This is indeed an interesting project.  Keep it up!

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