Classical Chinese': Difference between revisions

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==Phonological analysis==
==Phonological analysis==
*Vocals [i e eː a aː o oː u]
*Vowels [i e eː a aː o oː u]
*Word-initial consonants: [p t k ʃ n]
*Word-initial consonants: [p t k ʃ n]
*Word-medial consonants: [k d g ʃ n r l w]
*Word-medial consonants: [k d ɡ ʃ n r l w]
*Word-final consonants: [t n k]
*Word-final consonants: [t n k]


Clusters seem to include [ʃʃ ʃk kʃ kw rg nn].
Clusters seem to include [ʃʃ ʃk kʃ kw rɡ nn].


==Analysis==
The distinction between [l] and [r] seems very minor, with [l] mostly occurring between front vowels. Likewise the distinction between [k] and [ɡ] applies mostly intervocally.
The distinction between [l] and [r] seems very minor, with [l] mostly occurring between front vowels. Likewise the distinction between [k] and [g] applies mostly intervocally.


We might be able to analyze medial [k g] as /kk k/. Similarly, while there's no medial [t], medial [d] might be /t/. I now see my original idea to have [r] as the medial allophone of /t/ seems unlikely,: if [rg] is to be /tk/, medial voicing/lenition needs to apply thru two stops, but [ʃk kʃ] demonstrate it not applying thru a stop and a fricativ. OTOH not even single medial [ʃ] is voiced, so /ʃ/ is clearly more resilient to voicing (perhaps its distinguishing feature is not continuancy, but stridency). There is also the option of an underlying /r/ ''fortified'' to [t] before a pause.
We might be able to analyze medial [k ɡ] as /kk k/. Similarly, tho there's no medial [t], medial [d] might be /t/. I now see my original idea to have [r] as the medial allophone of /t/ seems unlikely: if [rɡ] is to be /tk/, medial voicing/lenition needs to apply thru two stops, but [ʃk kʃ] demonstrate it not applying thru a stop and a fricativ? OTOH not even single medial [ʃ] is voiced, so /ʃ/ is clearly more resilient to voicing (perhaps its distinguishing feature is not continuancy, but stridency). There is also the option of an underlying /r/ ''fortified'' to [t] adjacent to a word boundary.


These models
These models differ in a few testable respects: an underlying /t/ or /d/ would lead to clusters [ʃt tʃ], while an underlying /r/ would lead to [ʃr rʃ].


The labial situation seems more straightforward: the two possibilities initially suggesting itself are [w] = /u/ and [w] = /p/, but there is no overlap between these two scenarios, therefore we can simply go with a single labial phoneme [p w u] = /P/. (At least as long as no roots beginning with [pu-] turn up.)
The labial situation seems more straightforward: the two possibilities initially suggesting itself are [w] = /u/ and [w] = /p/, but since there is no overlap between these two scenarios, we can simply go with a single labial phoneme [p w u] = /P/ as long as no roots beginning with [pu-] turn up.


==Grammar==
==Grammar==
 
Tentativ verbal morphology breikdown:
==The cryptolect==
A highly unusual feature appearing in Classical Chinese is the creation of ritual jargon based on repeating religious chants with distinct phonetical variations.
*[n] is split to /n ɲ ŋ ɴ/
*[l] is split to /l ɬ ʎ ʎ̝̊ ʟ ʟ̝̊/
*[r] is split to /r ʀ ɹ j ʁ/
*[ʃ] is split to /s z ʃ ʒ ç ʝ/ (certain scolars construct a fourth, retroflex series)
*[k] is split to /k kʰ kʼ q qʰ qʼ/
*[t] is split to /t tʰ tʼ c cʰ cʼ/
*[p] is split to /p pʰ pʼ/
*[ɡ] is split to /ɡ ɡʱ ɠ ɢ ɢʱ ʛ/
*[d] is split to /d dʱ ɗ ɟ ɟʱ ʄ/
*[w] is split to /b bʱ ɓ β w/
*[u] is split to /u ɯ/
*[i] is split to /i y/
*[o] is split to /o ɔ/
*[oː] is split to /oː ɔː ou ɔu/
*[e] is split to /e ɛ/
*[eː] is split to /eː ɛː ei ɛi/
*[a](ː) is split to /ɑ æ ɐ/(ː)
This highly artificial language - grammatically and phonologically entirely distinct from its "carrier" - does produce a number of, mildly put, unusual modern daughterlangs.
 
The initial phonetic developments are loss of difthong openness and high vowel roundness distinctions;, follo'd by raising of the difthongs to high long monoftongs. Glottalization separates as a prosodic feature medially and is lost initially. Phe palatals decay to postalveolars, and the velar lateral fricativ becomes /χ/. Proto-Insane thus comes to contain:
 
{|
{|
|-
|-
| pʰ || tʰ || ʧʰ || kʰ || qʰ ||
! stem<br/>(root + derivational) !! aspect<br/>(1) !! object<br/>number !! instrument !! agent !! aspect (2)<br/>/ tense
|-
|-
| p || t || ʧ || k || q || ʔ
| ''arawa-'' || ''-gi-'' || ''-ʃ-'' || ''ʃina'' ||colspan="2"| ''-t'' (Nth P unmarked?)
|-
|-
| bʱ || dʱ || ʤʱ || ɡʱ || ɢʱ ||
| ''kogeero+n-'' || ''-o-'' || ''-ʃ-'' ||colspan="3"| (…) ''kioowon''
|-
|-
| b || d || ʤ || ɡ || ɢ ||
| ''paa-'' ||<!--no stem-internal V1:V2--> ''-o-'' || ∅<!--intransitiv--> || ''kokok'' || ''ʃorda''
|-
|-
| || n || nʲ || ŋ || ɴ ||
| ''noni-'' || ''-gi-'' || ''-r(o?)-'' || ''guriʃ'' || ''kao'' || ''-ː''
|-
|-
| || l || lʲ || ʟ || || ||
| ''ʃele+''<small>REDUP</small>- || ''-ː-'' || ''-ro-'' || (…) ''naneerenek''
|-
|-
| || ɬ || ɬʲ || || || ||
| ''kaginni-'' || (?) || ''-ro-'' || (…) ''ʃoweaalaka''
|-
|-
| || s || ʃ || || χ ||
| ''peʃa+''<small>REDUP</small>- || ''-ː-ne-''|| ''-ro-'' || ''gorono'' || ''we'' || ''-ː''
|-
| β || z || ʒ || || ʁ ||
|-
| w || ɹ || j || || ||
|-
| || r || || || ʀ ||
|}
|}
Non-verbal:
*''elewargaranaanawe''
*''tenekwaruguʃaadun''
Syntactical notes:
* SV, hed-initial
* generally nominativ alignment; some intransitiv verbs display traces of absolutiv behavior
* indirect object information incorporated into verb phrase
* direct object goes where??
* a clause may contain multiple (morphologically complete) verb phrases
* specific morphology for noting constituents shared by multiple VPs
* subclauses mostly renderable by modified VPs
==The cryptolect==
A highly unusual feature appearing in Classical Chinese is the creation of ritual jargon based on repeating religious chants with distinct phonetical variations. See [[Proto-Insane]] for details.
[[Category:Earth']]

Latest revision as of 02:23, 23 June 2009

Sample vocabulary

  • arawagiʃʃinat
  • kogeeronoʃkioowon
  • elewargaranaanawe
  • paaokokokʃorda
  • nonigirguriʃkaoo
  • ʃeleleeronaneerenek
  • kaginniroʃoweaalaka
  • tenekwaruguʃaadun
  • peʃeʃaanerogoronowee

Phonological analysis

  • Vowels [i e eː a aː o oː u]
  • Word-initial consonants: [p t k ʃ n]
  • Word-medial consonants: [k d ɡ ʃ n r l w]
  • Word-final consonants: [t n k]

Clusters seem to include [ʃʃ ʃk kʃ kw rɡ nn].

The distinction between [l] and [r] seems very minor, with [l] mostly occurring between front vowels. Likewise the distinction between [k] and [ɡ] applies mostly intervocally.

We might be able to analyze medial [k ɡ] as /kk k/. Similarly, tho there's no medial [t], medial [d] might be /t/. I now see my original idea to have [r] as the medial allophone of /t/ seems unlikely: if [rɡ] is to be /tk/, medial voicing/lenition needs to apply thru two stops, but [ʃk kʃ] demonstrate it not applying thru a stop and a fricativ? OTOH not even single medial [ʃ] is voiced, so /ʃ/ is clearly more resilient to voicing (perhaps its distinguishing feature is not continuancy, but stridency). There is also the option of an underlying /r/ fortified to [t] adjacent to a word boundary.

These models differ in a few testable respects: an underlying /t/ or /d/ would lead to clusters [ʃt tʃ], while an underlying /r/ would lead to [ʃr rʃ].

The labial situation seems more straightforward: the two possibilities initially suggesting itself are [w] = /u/ and [w] = /p/, but since there is no overlap between these two scenarios, we can simply go with a single labial phoneme [p w u] = /P/ as long as no roots beginning with [pu-] turn up.

Grammar

Tentativ verbal morphology breikdown:

stem
(root + derivational)		 aspect
(1)		 object
number		 instrument agent aspect (2)
/ tense
arawa- -gi- -ʃ- ʃina -t (Nth P unmarked?)
kogeero+n- -o- -ʃ- (…) kioowon
paa- -o- ∅ kokok ʃorda
noni- -gi- -r(o?)- guriʃ kao -ː
ʃele+REDUP- -ː- -ro- (…) naneerenek
kaginni- (?) -ro- (…) ʃoweaalaka
peʃa+REDUP- -ː-ne- -ro- gorono we -ː


Non-verbal:

  • elewargaranaanawe
  • tenekwaruguʃaadun

Syntactical notes:

  • SV, hed-initial
  • generally nominativ alignment; some intransitiv verbs display traces of absolutiv behavior
  • indirect object information incorporated into verb phrase
  • direct object goes where??
  • a clause may contain multiple (morphologically complete) verb phrases
  • specific morphology for noting constituents shared by multiple VPs
  • subclauses mostly renderable by modified VPs

The cryptolect

A highly unusual feature appearing in Classical Chinese is the creation of ritual jargon based on repeating religious chants with distinct phonetical variations. See Proto-Insane for details.

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