Proto-Seiquian: Difference between revisions
WeepingElf (talk | contribs) m (→Consonants) |
WeepingElf (talk | contribs) |
||
Line 49: | Line 49: | ||
All consonants except the labials can also be ''labialized''; such consonants are marked with '''°'''; e.g. '''*t°''' or '''*gh°'''. The frequency of these labializations increases from the alveolars to the uvulars; however, '''*h°''' is rare. | All consonants except the labials can also be ''labialized''; such consonants are marked with '''°'''; e.g. '''*t°''' or '''*gh°'''. The frequency of these labializations increases from the alveolars to the uvulars; however, '''*h°''' is rare. | ||
The aspirated stops are not preserved in any Seiquian language as such; they merged with the unaspirated stops in | The aspirated stops are not preserved in any Seiquian language as such; they merged with the unaspirated stops in [[Seiqui]] and became fricatives in [[Hihi]]. Neither is labialization; it is segmented out as following /w/ in Seiqui and lost in Hihi. | ||
===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== |
Latest revision as of 08:39, 30 December 2019
Proto-Seiquian is the reconstructed ancestor of the Seiquian languages, estimated to have been spoken around 4000 BC. It has been conjectured that this was the language of the Sredny Stog culture before these people merged with the Khvalynsk culture forming the Yamnaya culture and shifted to the latter's language, Proto-Indo-European. This, however, remains speculative.
Phonology
Consonants
Proto-Seiquian has a rich consonant inventory.
Labial | Coronal | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stops | Unaspirated | Voiceless | *p | *t | *c | *k | ||
Voiced | *b | *d | *j | *g | ||||
Aspirated | Voiceless | *ph | *th | *ch | *kh | |||
Voiced | *bh | *dh | *jh | *gh | ||||
Fricatives | Voiceless | *s | *x | *h | ||||
Nasals | *m | *n | ||||||
Liquids | *l *r | |||||||
Semivowels | *w | *y |
All consonants except the labials can also be labialized; such consonants are marked with °; e.g. *t° or *gh°. The frequency of these labializations increases from the alveolars to the uvulars; however, *h° is rare.
The aspirated stops are not preserved in any Seiquian language as such; they merged with the unaspirated stops in Seiqui and became fricatives in Hihi. Neither is labialization; it is segmented out as following /w/ in Seiqui and lost in Hihi.
Vowels
Proto-Seiquian is reconstructed with five vowels.
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
Close | *i | *u | |
Mid | *e | *o | |
Open | *a |
In addition, nasals and liquids can form syllable nuclei.
Morphology
Proto-Seiquian is reconstructed as an agglutinating, head-final accusative language.
Nouns
Nouns in Proto-Seiquian are classified in two genders: masculine and feminine. They are inflected for three numbers (singular, dual and plural) and six cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, locative).
Adjectives
(to be done)
Pronouns
(to be done)
Verbs
(to be done)
Syntax
(to be done)