Re: plausible sound change?
From: | Roger Mills <romilly@...> |
Date: | Thursday, June 7, 2001, 22:51 |
Aidan Grey wrote:
> Is this a plausible sound change?
>
> intervocalically, stops
>
> (1)_ fricativize after a front vowel
> (2)_ voices before a front vowel, which affects the
>previous vowel
Assuming the rules apply as I've numbered them, this is OK
> frex:
>
> itar > ithar
> atir > edir
and assuming Rule 1 can't recur to "correct" edir > eDir
But if the order is 2,1, then it would depend on whether ALL front vowels
trigger the change, or just HIGH FRONT vowels.
>
> what would happen is both vowels were front?
>
> etir > eidir or ithir?
Same problem: eidir < 2,1; ithir < 1,2 (why does e- change to i-??).
As to plausibility, IMVHO not. (Though I'm suppose someone will cite a
natlang ex.) I can't see front vowels , or voicing, causing these
particular changes (typologically speaking). However, I can see front vowels
> fricativize front (dental) consonants, perhaps along with back vowels >
fric. back (velar) consonants, etc.; similarly, voicing of cons. between
(all) vowels; or changes to vowels depending on the following vowel--
that's sort of what umlaut is.
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