Re: Deriving words that aren't too long

On Mon, 16 Nov 1998, Clinton Moreland-Stringham wrote:

> On Mon, 16 Nov 1998, Simon Kissane wrote:
>
> > For example, I have the root "chit" (gift), and by adding the endings
> > "il" and "a" I get the word "chitila" (to take). Is there any way I
> > could still have regular derivation, but keep the size of the words
> > down?... it makes a single English sentence 3 times as long translated.
>
I like Clinton's suggestions... my own T. does a little of this.

>         chit-m > chint+a > chinta "to give"
>         top-m > tomp+a > tompa "to be hit"
>         top-l > tolv+a > tolva "to hit"
>
But then there are ablaut changes (a strong feature of the Germanic
languages including English so this might not appeal): change a vowel.

        chit + a  > chat
        top +  e  > toep

The Celtic languages use initial mutation to express grammatical
relationships and these changes follow strict phonetic patterns; "soft
mutation" voices unvoiced consonants (caer > gaer; tad > dad, etc)  and
"lenites" or fricatizes others (mam > fam).  "Aspiration" fricatizes
unvoiced stops:  caer >chaer; and "nasalization" turns certain stops into
nasals caer > ngaer, tad > nhad, etc.  You could set up some consonant
changes along these lines that don't have to be initial, although change
inthe Welsh and Irish occur within a word as well.  We do it too... water
is actually "wadder"-- it's called "ease of articulation" but in your
language it could be a grammatical system.

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Sally Caves
scaves@frontiernet.net
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/teonaht.html
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/contents.html


Li fetil'aiba, dam hoja-le uen.
volwin ly, vul inua aiba bronib.

This leaf, the wind takes her.
She's old, and born this year.
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