Re: COMMENT PLEASE (WAS:Conlang Journal and being a fish)

In a message dated Fri, 20 Sep 2002 1:32:14 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jaspax@U.WASHINGTON.EDU writes:

>
> Elliott Lash sikyal:
>
> > The word _ja_ derives regularly from ancient Atlantaic _eda_
> >
> > The sequence of sound changes was:
> >
> > /Eda/ > /ED/ > /jED/ > /jE:/ > /je:/ > /jeI/ > /joI/ > /jo@/
> > > /jo:/ > /jA:/ > /ja:/ > /ja/
> >
> > Do you guys think that these are plausible changes to occur over a time span of
> > around 3000 years?
>
> Sure. I assume, though, that all of these changes are universal in their
> language, and not specific to their word.
Yep, this same general process happens in other places as well. Such as the word:
*dwelirjos "small village, homestead" >

/dwIlirjoh/ > /dwIlirro/ > /wIlirr@/ > /wIlEr@/ > /wIlEr/ > /wIlE:4/ > /wIlE:@/ > /wIle:@/
> /wIle:/ > /wIleI/ > /wIloI/ > /wIlo@/ > /wIlo:/ > /wIlA:/ > /vIla:/ > /vila:/
> /vila/ > /vil@/
_vila_ "commune"  In unstressed position, one more change applied to go from /a/ to schwa.


> What I mean is that you didn't do what I did when I was 14 and first
> starting doing language history. I would have etymologies like:
>
> bota > bot > boT
> gota > goda > gora
>
> Which is wrong, for obvious reasons.
Well...what if the stress was on the _a_ in _gota_ then it could work out ok.

> Only /jeI/ > /joI/ seems at all odd, but not so odd that
> it's never
> happened in real life.
Something like this happened in Old French I believe:

_mei_ "me"

/mej/ > /meI/ > /m@I/ > /moI/ > /moE/ > /mwE/ > /mwa/  _moi_

I'm not sure of the actual sequence or if this is correct in all particulars, but
in anycase, I was modelling the change after this.

Elliott Lash.