Proto-Hercynian

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This page documents an obsolete version of this conlang pending revision. --WeepingElf (talk) 07:56, 23 January 2024 (PST)

Proto-Hercynian is the (intrafictionally) reconstructed common ancestor of the Hercynian languages, which form a branch of the Hesperic language family, a family of diachronic lostlangs designed by Jörg Rhiemeier.

Phonology

Consonants

  Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Voiceless stops *p *t     *k  
Voiced stops *b *d     *g  
Voiceless fricatives *ph *th *s   *kh *h
Voiced fricatives *bh *dh *z   *gh  
Nasals *m *n     *ng  
Liquids     *l *r      
Semivowels *w     *j    

Vowels

  Front Non-front
Unround Round Unround Round
Close *i *y   *u
Mid *e   *o
Open     *a  

All vowels can be long (written with a circumflex, e.g. â).

Sound changes from Proto-Hesperic

This section gives an overview of the sound changes that occured on the way from Proto-Hesperic to Proto-Hercynian.

Common North Hesperic developments

Further changes shared with Proto-Alpianic

  • Final nasal neutralization
  • m > n /_#
  • ng > n /_#


  • Laryngeal loss
  • V3 > V:
  • 3 > 0 /otherwise
  • Monophthongizations
  • ai, ia > é
  • au, ua > ó
  • iu > ú
  • ui > í
  • VV > V: /if both of same quality
  • Pre-sonorant vowel lowering
* i > e, u > o before nasals and liquids (affects both long and short vowels)
  • Vowel lengthenings and shortenings
  • Long vowels are shorted in closed syllables
  • Short vowels are lengthened in stressed open syllables

Begemann's Law

  • Aspirated stops become voiceless fricatives except in clusters. In clusters, they merge with the neutral stops.
  • Voiced stops become voiced fricatives except in clusters. In clusters, they remain voiced stops.
  • Neutral stops remain unchanged in all positions.

Development of velarized liquids

  • ĺ > lg
  • ŕ > rg

Origin of *z

  • s > z /R_V (R = n, l, r)
  • tj, kj > s
  • dj, gj > z

Absorption of postconsonantal semivowels

This change affects short and long vowels accordingly. The vowel length is not changed.

  • wa > o /C_
  • we > ø /C_
  • wi > y /C_
  • ja > e /C_
  • jo > ø /C_
  • ju > y /C_