Sound Changes in Imperial Languages (Empire-in-the-West)

Archaic Imperial

Initial Phonemic Inventory

Consonants

POA	Labials	Dentals	Emphatics	Velars	Uvulars	Glottals
Tenuis stops	p /p/	t /t/	ṭ /tˤ/	k /k/	q /q/	? /ʔ/
Lenis stops	b /b/	d /d/	ḍ /dˤ/	g /g/	ǵ /ɢ/
Fricatives	f /f/	s /s/	ṣ /sˤ/	x /x/	ḥ /χ/	h /h/
Nasals	m /m/	n /n/
Liquids		l /l/, r /r/
Glides			y /j/	w /w/

Vowels

• Short: /i a u/ i a u
• Long: /iː aː uː/ ī ā ū
• Diphthong: /ai au/ ai au

Symbols:

• E= ṭ, q, ḍ, ḡ, ṭh, qh
• V=any vowel
• C=any consonant

I. Developments in Late Archaic

Consonants

1. l>ɫ/[+emph]
2. f s sˤ x χ>[+voice]/V_C[+voice], V_V[-stress]
3. h>0/V_C[+voice], V_V[-stress]
4. tˤ dˤ sˤ>{t d s}
5. q>ʔ
6. ʔ>q/#_

Vowels

1. iː uː> əi əu/E_

Emphasis spreading:

1. i u a> e o ɑ/[+emph]
2. iː uː aː> eː oː ɑː/[+emph]

Diphthongs:

1. ai au> əi əu/_[-voice]
2. ai au> ɛː ɔː/_[+voice]
3. ai au> ajə awə/_#
4. V>ə/[-stress]_{# l r}

II. Developments to Classical

Consonants

1. p t k> pʰ tʰ kʰ/_V[+stress]
2. p t k> f θ x/V_V[-stress]
3. b d g> β ð ɣ/V_V
4. χ> ʜ
5. ɢ> q/#_
6. ɢ> ʢ
7. Cː>C
8. k g x> kʲ gʲ xʲ/_i(ː)

Vowels

1. i u> ɪ ʊ
2. e o> e o
3. æ ɑ> ɛ ɔ
4. uː oː ɔː ɑː> yː uː oː ɔː

III. Developments to Late Classical

Consonants

1. kʲ gʲ xʲ> ʧ ʤ ʃ
2. ɣ> w/V[+back]_
3. ɣ> j/V[+front]_
4. ð> j
5. β> w
6. C> Cʲ/_i(ː)
7. C> Cʷ_u(ː)
8. C> Cˠ/_a

Vowels

1. ə>0
2. V>0/C_C