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)"