Future Moonshine: Difference between revisions
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'''Future Moonshine''' is a term for the post-classical dialects of Moonshine that began to arise after 6843 AD. Though Moonshine had been the most rapidly changing branch of its family for its first 3,000 years, the centralized school system slowed down the rate of change as it spread the Cartwheel dialect throughout the empire, and nearly all citizens attended school. | '''Future Moonshine''' is a term for the post-classical dialects of Moonshine that began to arise after 6843 AD. Though Moonshine had been the most rapidly changing branch of its family for its first 3,000 years, the centralized school system slowed down the rate of change as it spread the Cartwheel dialect throughout the empire, and nearly all citizens attended school. | ||
=== | ===Phonological developments=== | ||
==== | ====Sound changes involving consonants==== | ||
Sound changes had already begun to slow in the centuries leading up to Classical Moonshine because the grammar had become tied to consonant and vowel gradations in ways that discouraged change. For example, one word might alternate its final consonants between /d~t~z~s/,<ref>this is made up</ref> discouraging merging of those sounds. The classical consonant inventory was | Sound changes had already begun to slow in the centuries leading up to Classical Moonshine because the grammar had become tied to consonant and vowel gradations in ways that discouraged change. For example, one word might alternate its final consonants between /d~t~z~s/,<ref>this is made up</ref> discouraging merging of those sounds. The classical consonant inventory was | ||
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Velars: k ġ ŋ h g r | Velars: k ġ ŋ h g r | ||
As the language developed into dialects, and these dialects developed into languages, shared innovations spread throughout the territory, while other changes were unique to each daughter language. | |||
The labiodental stops /ṗ ḅ/ held strong in many dialects because of their grammatical alternations with /f v/. The same was true of the dental stops /ṭ ḍ/ and their alternation with /ṣ ẓ/. However, the nasals ''ṃ ṇ'' had no such grammatical associations, and in many dialects they shifted to simple '''m n''', or less commonly, shifted to voiced fricatives '''v ẓ'''. | The labiodental stops /ṗ ḅ/ held strong in many dialects because of their grammatical alternations with /f v/. The same was true of the dental stops /ṭ ḍ/ and their alternation with /ṣ ẓ/. However, the nasals ''ṃ ṇ'' had no such grammatical associations, and in many dialects they shifted to simple '''m n''', or less commonly, shifted to voiced fricatives '''v ẓ'''. | ||
In some dialects, the voiced stops became prenasalized; this is actually a retention of a pre-Classical trait. In the daughter languages that descended from these dialects, the voiced stops were thus taught as clusters and eliminated from the basic inventory. In some of these languages, the voiced fricatives hardened in some positions into voiced stops, reintroducing the contrast. | In some dialects, the voiced stops became prenasalized; this is actually a retention of a pre-Classical trait. In the daughter languages that descended from these dialects, the voiced stops were thus taught as clusters and eliminated from the basic inventory. In some of these languages, the voiced fricatives hardened in some positions into voiced stops, reintroducing the contrast. | ||
====Sound changes involving vowels==== | |||
The classical vowel inventory was /a e i o u/, with no diphthongs. This remained stable in most of the daughter languages. | |||
====Sound changes involving tones==== | |||
The four tones of Classical Moonshine were a à ā á, and these showed various developments in the daughter languages. Words borrowed between languages were often borrowed orthographically, and therefore the tones did not match acoustically. | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
Revision as of 15:58, 4 February 2020
Future Moonshine is a term for the post-classical dialects of Moonshine that began to arise after 6843 AD. Though Moonshine had been the most rapidly changing branch of its family for its first 3,000 years, the centralized school system slowed down the rate of change as it spread the Cartwheel dialect throughout the empire, and nearly all citizens attended school.
Phonological developments
Sound changes involving consonants
Sound changes had already begun to slow in the centuries leading up to Classical Moonshine because the grammar had become tied to consonant and vowel gradations in ways that discouraged change. For example, one word might alternate its final consonants between /d~t~z~s/,[1] discouraging merging of those sounds. The classical consonant inventory was
Bilabials: p b m ḟ w Labiodentals: ṗ ḅ ṃ f v Dentals: ṭ ḍ ṇ ṣ ẓ ḷ Alveolars: t d n s z l ř c ʒ Postalveolars: ň š ž č ǯ Palatals: ś y Velars: k ġ ŋ h g r
As the language developed into dialects, and these dialects developed into languages, shared innovations spread throughout the territory, while other changes were unique to each daughter language.
The labiodental stops /ṗ ḅ/ held strong in many dialects because of their grammatical alternations with /f v/. The same was true of the dental stops /ṭ ḍ/ and their alternation with /ṣ ẓ/. However, the nasals ṃ ṇ had no such grammatical associations, and in many dialects they shifted to simple m n, or less commonly, shifted to voiced fricatives v ẓ.
In some dialects, the voiced stops became prenasalized; this is actually a retention of a pre-Classical trait. In the daughter languages that descended from these dialects, the voiced stops were thus taught as clusters and eliminated from the basic inventory. In some of these languages, the voiced fricatives hardened in some positions into voiced stops, reintroducing the contrast.
Sound changes involving vowels
The classical vowel inventory was /a e i o u/, with no diphthongs. This remained stable in most of the daughter languages.
Sound changes involving tones
The four tones of Classical Moonshine were a à ā á, and these showed various developments in the daughter languages. Words borrowed between languages were often borrowed orthographically, and therefore the tones did not match acoustically.
Notes
- ↑ this is made up
