Zithromax
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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)"