From 3c553591a70bcb00d8e9794dc78b0abe2f43a8eb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lucien Cartier-Tilet Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2024 20:03:55 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] docs(eittlandic): extending the phonology --- docs/eittlandic/phonology.org | 153 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 1 file changed, 126 insertions(+), 27 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/eittlandic/phonology.org b/docs/eittlandic/phonology.org index 4c0a8f3..b36113b 100644 --- a/docs/eittlandic/phonology.org +++ b/docs/eittlandic/phonology.org @@ -339,6 +339,105 @@ When a {{{phon(t)}}} precedes another consonant, it becomes a glottal stop. Early Modern Eittlandic /Eittland/ {{{phon(ɑɪtlɑnd)}}} > Modern Eittlandic {{{phon(ɑɪʔlɑnd)}}} #+html: ::: +** Spelling and pronunciation +Eittlandic is written in two different alphabets: Modern Futhark, also +known as the Eittlandic runes, and the Latin alphabet. Eittland saw +some use of the Latin alphabet in the 13th and 14th century, but +documents ceased to be produced with it until the 17th century, when +immigrants from continental Europe brought this script with them and +as commerce opened up with European countries again. Until a few +decades ago, the Modern Futhark alphabet was the most popular alphabet +in use in Eittland. But since the democratisation of the computer and +smartphone, usage of the Latin alphabet saw a quick rise in +popularity. According to some estimates, only 2% of Eittlanders used +the Latin alphabet more often than the Modern Futhark alphabet in +1920, while in 2020, 23% of Eittlanders primarily use the Latin +alphabet. + +Most letters are used the same way in Eittlandic as they are in most +standard European languages, with a few additions that lack in the +standard Latin alphabet, Just like Icelandic, Eittlandic still uses +the letters «þ» and «ð» when using the Latin alphabet. These letters +were already used in Old Norse but nether became deprecated, unlike in +other Nordic languages such as Swedish or Norwegian, or other Germanic +languages such as English. They represent the sounds {{{phon(θ)}}} and +{{{phon(ð)}}} respectively; unlike Old Norse, these two sounds became +distinct enough to constrast in some words, such as in /maðr/ (/man/) and +/maþr/ (maths). You will also find vowels with acute accents. They used +to represent long vowels, but due to sound changes, they are +associated with a lower tone and generaly more lax vowel, as described +below. + +Aside from Standard Eittlandic, there is no standard spelling and the +language is written generally phonetically, although there is a +tendency to keep the spelling reflecting the historical pronunciation +of words; i.e. when representing the vowel {{{phon(ɛ̀)}}}, Eittlanders will +tend to write «á» when it comes from a historically long {{{phon(ɑ)}}} but +«é» if it comes from a historically long {{{phon(e)}}}. There is also a +tendency in dialects other than Standard Eittlandic to write +word-final vowels, even if they are no longer pronounced, as in «posi» +(Standard Eittlandic /pos/, meaning /seal/). + +These are the letters used natively in Eittlandic: + +#+begin_quote +a b d ð e f g h i j k l m n o p r s t þ u v y z ø œ +#+end_quote + +All vowels, with the exception of «ø» and «œ», can bear an acute +accent, extending the list with: +#+begin_quote +á é í ó ú ý +#+end_quote + +Most of these letters represent their standard phonological value, but +a few don't. Here are some rules that will help you read Eittlandic +phonetically: +- «a» :: this is an unrounded, open back vowel {{{phon(ɑ)}}} in some + dialects, or front {{{phon(a)}}} in some others +- «á» :: this is an unrounded, mid open front vowel {{{phon(ɛ)}}} with a low + or falling tone +- «ð» :: this is a voiced dentad fricative {{{phon(ð)}}}, as in English “this” +- «é» :: pronounced like «á» +- «g» :: the most unstable letter in Eittlandic. When in contact with + another consonant, it will be a standard voiced uvular stop {{{phon(ɡ)}}}. + However, if it is a word-initial consonent immediately followed by a + vowel or between vowels, it will be pronounced as a {{{phon(j)}}}. Lastly, + if it is word-final and preceeded by a vowel, it is pronounced as a + voiced velar fricative {{{phon(ɣ)}}}. +- «í» :: this is an unrounded mid closed front vowel {{{phon(e)}}} with a + low or falling tone. It contrasts with «e» wich is pronounced with a + neutral or high tone +- «j» :: this is the palatal semivowel {{{phon(j)}}}, as in German or other + North Germanic languages +- «ó» :: this is a rounded mid open back vowel {{{phon(ɔ)}}} with a low or falling + tone +- «p» :: in most places, pronounced as a voiceless bilabial plosive + {{{phon(p)}}} as expected, unless before a «t» where it becomes a + voiceless bilabial fricative {{{phon(ɸ)}}} +- «þ» :: this is the unvoiced counterpart to «ð», the {{{phon(θ)}}}, as in + English “think” +- «ú» :: this is a rounded mid closed back vowel {{{phon(o)}}} with a low or + falling tone. It constrasts with neutral or high tone «o» +- «v» :: this is the voiced bilabial fricative {{{phon(β)}}}, unless when + following an «h» in a word-initial position; in this case, «hv» is + pronounced as a voiceless labialised velar approximant {{{phon(ʍ)}}}. +- «y» :: this is the rounded front high vowel {{{phon(y)}}}, as in German /ü/ or French /u/ +- «ý» :: this is the mid front rounded vowel {{{phon(ø)}}} with a low or + falling tone, contrasting with the neutral or high tone «ø» + described below +- «ø» :: is a mid front rounded vowel {{{phon(ø)}}}, like German «ö» or + French «eu» in /deux/ +- «œ» :: this is a low, lax, frount rounded vowel {{{phon(œ)}}}, like French + «eu» in «neuf», but with an additional low or falling tone + +There are another three additional digraphs when it comes to vowels: +- «au» :: this is a rounded mid open back vowel {{{phon(ɔ)}}} with a neutral + or high tone, which contrasts with «ó» +- «ei» :: this is one of the two diphthongs left in Eittlandic, + {{{phon(ɑɪ)}}} +- «ey» :: this is the other diphthong left in Eittlandic, {{{phon(œʏ)}}} + ** Vowel Inventory Modern Eittlandic has a total of ten simple vowels and three diphthongs, regardless of the dialect. It does not directly inherit @@ -383,32 +482,6 @@ graph{graph[dpi=300,bgcolor="transparent"];node[shape=plaintext];"vowels-0ju80zw #+html: Featural tree of Eittlandic vowels -Here is a quick guide regarding the pronunciation of these vowels: -- a {{{phon(ɑ)}}} :: as in General American English “hot” with a high tone -- á {{{phon(ɛ̀)}}} :: as in General American English “bed” with a low tone -- æ {{{phon(ɛ)}}} :: as in General American English “bed” with a high tone -- e {{{phon(e)}}} :: as in French “été” or General American English “may” - with a high tone -- é {{{phon(ɛ̀)}}} :: see {{{phon(æ)}}} -- i {{{phon(i)}}} :: as in English “free” with a high tone -- í {{{phon(è)}}} :: as in French “été” or General American English “may” - with a low tone -- o {{{phon(o)}}} :: as in French “beau” or Cockney English “yawn” with a - high tone -- ó {{{phon(ɔ̀)}}} :: as in General American English “thought” with a low - tone -- u {{{phon(u)}}} :: as in French “mou” or General American English “boot” - with a high tone -- ú {{{phon(ò)}}} :: as in French “beau” or Cockney English “yawn” with a - low tone -- y {{{phon(y)}}} :: as in French “lune” with a high tone -- ý {{{phon(ø̀)}}} :: as in French “deux” with a low tone -- œ/ǿ {{{phon(œ)}}} :: as in French “neuf” with a low tone -- ei {{{phon(ɑɪ)}}} :: as in English “I” -- au {{{phon(ɔʊ)}}} :: similar to Canadian “ow” or in General American - English “bow”, but more open -- ey {{{phon(œʏ)}}} :: as if it were “œy” but more open - Eittlandic also has a second vowel inventory dedicated to unstressed vowels. While the one described above describes all vowels found in stressed positions, the unstressed inventory is much lighter. @@ -500,10 +573,36 @@ Note the features borne by the diphthongs: #+end_src ** Consonant Inventory -/Under construction/ +Regarding Eittlandic's consonants, the two main changes from Old Norse +other than changes in their pronunciation is the now differenciation +between «þ» and «ð» where in Old Norse, the former was used +word-initially while the latter was used in all other positions. + +Similarly, the «f» letter was used to represent both {{{phon(f)}}} +word-initially and {{{phon(v)}}} in all other positions. In Eittlandic, +voiced «f» {{{phon(v)}}} merged into «v» {{{phon(β)}}}. Therefore, the letter «f» +is no longer used to represent {{{phon(v)}}} anymore; the letter «v» is +instead used to represent both historical «v» and historically voiced +«f». + +Occasionally, the letter «h» may precede another consonant in a +word-initial position, mainly «l», «r», and «v». These consonants +become devoiced, with «hl», «hr», and «hv» becoming {{{phon(l̥)}}}, {{{phon(r̥)}}}, +and {{{phon(ʍ)}}} respectively. *** Private Data :noexport: +** Underlying vowels +While most word-final vowels were dropped a few centuries ago, they +still exist as underlying vowels that may affect the word's +morphology. By default, when there is no final vowel for a noun, a +dummy «i» is used to join the word with the definite morphene +together. For instance, /dag/ (/day/), a word with no underlying vowel, +which becomes /dagin/ in its singular accusative definite form. However, +even if it is no longer present in its non-definite form, /sag/ still +bears the word-final vowel «a» which appears in its definite form, +such as /sagat/ (singular accusative definite form). + ** Pitch and Stress The original bitonal pitch accent of Eittlandic is thought to have been lost around the 10th or 11th century, though it is no certain