Re: ConGermanicRomanceLang?

--- Robert Hailman <robert@...> wrote:

> I've had a blinding flash of inspiration lately: Why don't I make a
> Germanic RomanceLang?
Come to think of it, I'm experimenting with a language for my race of
Orcs, which is probably going to be based more or less on Esperanto and
English.  So most of the word base is going to be Latin/Romance and
Germanic, with a little Greek and maybe Slavic mixed in.

The best example of a Germanic-Romance hybrid language: English.  You
probably want something much different.

> Can anyone point me towards some (preferably free) information about
> the
> sound changes in Germanic languages?
I'll give you some free information.  There are two laws you need to
remember: Grimm's Law and Verner's law.

Grimm's Law: From Indo-European to Germanic:

p   > f
b   > p
bh  > p
t   > þ (Eng <th>)
d   > t
dh  > d
k*  > h (Ger <ch> when syllable final)
g*  > k
gh* > g
kw  > hw (Eng <wh>)
gw  > kw (Eng <qu>)
gwh > gw (Eng <gu>?)
*also palatals k^, g^, g^h, merged in Germanic

I forgot the vowel shifts, but I think PIE a: > PGer o: or something...

Verner's Law: a fricative (f, þ, s) between vowels, if it occurs after
the stressed vowel, is voiced: (v, ð, z).

Now High German (inc. Standard German, Yiddish, Alemanic etc.) has a
further shift in voiceless stops:

p > pf
t > tz/z
k > ch ([ç] or [x] depending on preceding letter)

The former two of course are affricates.  Some Eng/Dut/Ger triads for
examples:

pound/pund/Pfund
cat/kat/Katz
I/ik/ich

Hope I helped.

=====
Daniel A. Wier
Computer Geek Extraordinaire
Lufkin, Texas USA
ICQ#: 1651462
IRC Nick: LudwigVan on EFNet

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