Re: Sound change rules for erosion

On Wed, Nov 19, 2003 at 04:03:17PM -0500, Paul Bennett wrote:

> >Does anybody have a good set of sound change rules written up for
> >eroding a language with few phonemes and all open syllables (polynesian
> >feel) into one with shorter words, more phonemes, and complex Germanic-
> >sounding syllables?
>
> What's the starting phoneme set? Is there phonemic accent (stress, tone, or
> what-have-you)?
I currently have:

  C=ptkmlrswh
  V=aeiuo
  all syllables CV

Root words are 3-4 syllables long.  There are 1-syllable derivational
infixes (they go before the final syllable) and 2-syllable suffixes (maybe
also prefixes).

Accent is on the first syllable, with a dactyllic pattern (secondary
accent on 4th and, if there is one, 7th syllable).  A secondary accent
is on the following syllable, with the third (sixth, ninth) syllables
very short.

In the first stage of sound change, the short syllables lose their vowels.
This makes for entertaining changes to infixes and suffixes depending on
the length of the original word.

Example:

kiwo    noun suffix in/under
wuta    noun suffix on/touching
sipa    noun suffix near

lo      verb infix "on"; makes transitive
ki      verb infix causative; makes transitive
ke      verb infix "to" (as in go to); makes transitive
ru      verb infix "with, bringing"
wi      verb infix inceptive
pe      verb infix completive

pamawape --> pámawpé    woman
  pamawapekiwo --> pámawpékiwo  in/under the woman
  pamawapewuta --> pámawpéwuta  on/touching the woman
  pamawapesipa --> pámawpésipa  near the woman
kowapo --> kówapo       child
  kowapokiwo --> kówapkíwo      in/under the child
  kowapowuta --> kówapwúta      on/touching the child
  kowaposipa --> kówapsípa      near the child
taloki --> táloki       house
  talokikiwo --> tálokkíwo      "in/under the house"
  talokiwuta --> tálokwúta      "on/touching the house"
  talokisipa --> táloksípa      "near the house"

serumu --> sérumu       sit (intrans)
  serulomu --> sérulmú  sit on (trans)
  serukimu --> sérukmú  seat someone (trans)
  serurumu --> sérurmú  sit holding (trans)
lelipe --> lélipe       go (intrans)
  lelikepe --> lélikpé  go to
  lelirupe --> lélirpé  bring, carry, take
  lelikipe --> lélikpé  make go, send
  lelilope --> lélilpé  go on, ride
teluhehu --> téluhhú    burn (intrans)
  teluhekihu --> téluhkíhu      burn (trans)
  teluhewihu --> téluhwíhu      catch fire
  teluhepehu --> téluhpéhu      burn up

Thanks,
Amanda

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