Zithromax

Basically an excercise in MOA juggling. Aiming for a somewhat Polynesian meets PIE flavor, plus a dash of Algonquian maybe. This originates from northwest Sahara, but has been expanding south and southeast for a few millennia.

Proto-Zithromax

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

• Initials: single C, 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 may not occur
  • ŋk may occur but is not an unitary consonant phonotactically

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

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

• 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

• P → F
• sP → P

Branch C

(probably minor)

• ĭ ŭ → ə
• hP → sP

Branch D

(laryngeal-happy)

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