Re: Proto-Quendian (and PIE) phonology (was Re: Q (Caucasian Elf))

Jörg Rhiemier wrote:
>Andreas Johansson <and_yo@...> writes:
>
> > Jörg wrote:
>
>[PQ consonant system snipped]
>
> > Some would tell you that Tolkien's PQ also had a few palatalized sounds:
>t',
> > d', k', n' (I'm probably forgetting one or a few) that could contrast
> > against mere clusters ty, dy, ky, ny. One of the points of this would be
> > that it's easier to understand how Quenya _Solonyeldi_ can correspond to
> > Amanya Telerin _Soloneldi_ while Quenya _Vanyar_ corresponds to Amanya
> > Telerin _Vaniai_.
>
>These two examples seem to indicate that there were two different
>phonemes in play, at least when accepting the Neogrammarian approach;
>one of the forms might be irregular, or it is conditioned by the
>following vowel:
>
>*nj > ni / _{a, o, u}
>*nj > n  / _{e, i}
>
>or anything like that.  Or PQ *nj always goes to *ni, but *ie > e and
>*ii > i in the next step.  No need for a contrast between /nj/ and /n'/.
Nice. Still doesn't explain how Noldorin can have _nâr_ from _nyadrô_ and
_bronio_ (_bronia-_) from *_b'ronjâ_.
>
>And finally take notice that my PQ is not the same as Tolkien's PQ, and
>that the phonology of my PQ is not yet fixed.  In fact, the existence or
>non-existence of a palatal series is one of the major open questions in
>"my-PQ" phonology.  I think I'll get along without one.  After all, this
>is not the protolanguage of Quenya, Amanya Telerin and Sindarin, but of
>Nur-ellen, Caledonian, Iverinic and Macaronesian.
It was not clear from you message whether your PQ was intended or not to be
related to Tolkiens from the internal viewpoint, so I thought you'd maybe
appreciate input on it. Of course, you don't seem to displeased anyway :-)

                                                   Andreas
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