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Re: Sound changes causing divergence of ordinals from cardinals

From:Tristan McLeay <conlang@...>
Date:Thursday, January 5, 2006, 15:07
Peter Bleackley wrote:
> This idea came up in the discussion of numerals. Below is a set of > cardinal numbers, with the ordinals formed regularly from them by a > suffix -ke. Let's take turns proposing sound changes (one at a time > please) until the ordinals can no longer be regularly formed regularly > from the cardinals, and indeed form a separate set of roots. Everything > is in CXS.
(1) Labial harmony: After rounded elements, subsequent vowels become rounded, unless there is a subsequent velar, which prevents it (cf. English "what" vs "whack"). Thus: (I assume the "ao" is two separate vowels. If it's a diphthong, then 20th should remain "naronaoke", 30th "mikonaoke") Value Cardinal Ordinal 1 iwQ iwake 2 naro naroke 3 miko mikoke 4 toko tokoke 5 ken kenke 6 jasu jasuke 7 Sigu Siguke 8 dZoz2 dZozeke 9 hija hijake 10 nao naoke 11 haro haroke 12 otsu otsuke 13 naomiko naomikoke 20 naronQo naronQoke 21 naronQywQ naronQywake 22 naronQonQro naronQonQroke 30 mikonQo mikonQoke 31 naronQohQro naronQohQroke 32 naronQotsu naronQotsuke 33 mikonQomiko mikonQomikoke