Zithromax

Basically an excercise in MOA juggling. Aiming for a somewhat Polynesian meets PIE flavor, plus a dash of Algonquian maybe.

History

The family originates from northwest Sahara, but has been expanding south and southeast for a few millennia. (Note that "current day" on Earth' takes place at a time when the Sahara was more hospitable only a short time ago.) Current desertation has been halving the population in the area, driving many language groups near extinction as well.

Proto-Zithromax

p	t	k	ʔ
s͡p	s͡t	s͡k	s
m͡p	n͡t
m	n	ŋ
w	l r	j

• Initials: single C except ʔ, obstruent + /r/
• Finals: j r ŋ ʔ
  • of which the glottal stop may only occur between a long vowel and a plain stop
  • geminates and ŋl, ŋʔ, jʔ, rʔ may not occur
  • ŋk may occur but is not an unitary consonant phonotactically

ĭ /i/	ī /iː/	ŭ /u/	ū /uː/
ĕ /e/	ē /eː/	ŏ /o/	ō /oː/
	ê /ɛː/		ô /ɑː/

Roots are of the form (C)VC(C) from which different stem formations are derived, including:

• Nominal class 1: Nominativ *-ŭ, dativ *-ĭ
• Short consonantal: (C)VC
• Short vocalic: CV

Basal dialect splits

• ʔ → h / _P (branches A, C)
• ĭ ŭ → [ɪ ʊ] (branches A, C)
• NP → NB (branches A, B)
  • Just to be clear, this does involve /ŋk/; but not the other eng-clusters.

Branch A

The best-studied branch, spoken in the Atlas mountains area, near the family's presumed homeland.

• sP → hP / V_, → P / {# r N}_
• ŋ → ∅ / _{mb nd}
• rŋ → ŋr
• ĭ ŭ → ĕ ŏ
• velars rounded before rounded vowels
• vowel shift
  • j → ∅ / Vː_{C #} (via extra-long; → stress effects?)
  • ɛː → eɜ → jɜ
  • ĕ ŏ → ə / -STR
  • Vː → V
  • ɜ → ɑ / _C(C)ɑ & in monosyllables, ə elsewhere
  • jə wə → i u
  • əj oj → ej ɑj (?)
• r → ɹ
• hP → NP
• coronal → retroflex / {ŋ u o}_
• ŋm ŋɳ ŋj ŋw ŋʈ → mː ɳː ɲː ŋʷː ɳʈ
  • Nː → N / _#, → NB / context?
• R → S / #_V, _P

Branch A.1

• NB → B
• ɭ w → ɖ v
• ɟ → ʤ → dz
• P → F / V_
  • ɸ → h
• B → P
• labiovelar → labial

Branch B

• ʔP → Ɓ
• ĕ ŏ → a

Branch B.1

• Ɓ NB → B
• ê ē ō → ē ī ū

Branch B.2

(The "Germanic" one)

• P → F
• sP → P

Branch C

(Eastern Sahara, probably minor)

• ĭ ŭ → ə, ĕ ŏ → ɛ ɔ
• īŋ ēŋ → iaŋ ōŋ / _{C #}; vowel length then lost
• hP → sP; initially sP → əsP-
• ŋP → NP (possibly incl. ŋs(P) ŋr → ns(P) nr)
• nasalization from coda nasals; initially mp- nt- → ũp- ẽt- (late-ish… shared with Nilotic')

Branch D

(laryngeal-happy)

• coda ŋ → w
• sP NP → P / #_
• sP → hP
• NP → ʔP

Vocabulary

• Numerals 1-10: *sīnkô, *wôstŭ, *lēʔtŭ, *kômp, *ŋêj, *spūtŭ, *mŏrūŋ (*ŋêj-wôstĭ), *ŋêj-lētĭ, *ŋêj-kômp, *sŏrwŏ
• Colors: *mpŭlŭ "clear, white, shining", *stēʔpô "dark, black", *jĕrwŭ "red", *kūsôŋ "green(ish)"