Re: Vowels in Finlaesk

>The current vowel set is as follows:
>
>   i i: i~ y y: y~         u u: u~
>   e e: e~ 2 2: 2~ @ @: @~ o o: o~
>   E E: E~ 9 9: 9~         O O: O~
>    a a: a~              A A: A~
>
>Unfortunately, it seems to have travelled the exact opposite direction
> from Old Norse that is *should* have done for a language surrounded by the
>indigenous languages of southern and western Greenland, eastern Canada,
>and the wortheastern USA.
(snip)
>It is, in short, the kind of environment in which I suspect my
>nicely-laid-out Germanic vowel grid just would not stay stable. Worlds are
>colliding, and things are going to collapse. The only problem is: which
>things?
>
>It seems that the front-rounded vowels would need to go, and one or more
>of the back rounded ones, too. Where from there, though? Pages and pages
>of core morphology would be flushed down the same tube.
>All thoughts and suggestions solicited.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Paul
You skipped any details about which specific distinctions are core
morphology and which aren't... but is that vowel length approximately
cognate with that of modern Icelandic? If yes, you could probably do some
Vulgar Latin style long-short mergers without too much damage? That would
require you to ditch the length in general, tho, which does not seem to help
too much with the fitting-in.

Another choice would be to simply relocate distinctions to consonants, ie.
to do a ton of labialization, palatalization, etc.

Or... aren't at least some American langs pretty liberal in their
distribution of glides? If these include your neighbors, you could start
breiking vowels, eg:
2 > ew
9 > we
u > ow
O > wo

Also, I don't think you'll need to get rid of *all* of the front rounded
vowels? At least a single /y/ (plus maybe the long and nasal variants)
should not be too unstable.

John Vertical