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--- In romanceconlang@yahoogroups.com, Jan van Steenbergen <ijzeren_jan@y...> wrote: > --- Marcus skrzypszy: <snip> <ijzeren_jan@y> ( > Your language is very interesting, indeed! Well, how should I understand these > two versions: are they two variants between which you haven't chosen yet, two > dialects of one and the same language, or even two languages? I suppose it _could_ be any of those, if it is a Romance language ;) The usual distinction between Etruscan and Latin etymology is this: the Etruscan term is felt to be 'religious', while the Latin term is 'secular' or 'profane'. Thus [fso urat] means 'Heaven', but [fsa ker] means 'heaven; [fsa tsramn] (neuter) means 'the Kingdom of God', but [redZn] means 'kingdom'. Note, however, that the collective suffix [ku/p] < [qua] has no specifically religious connotation, even in the purely Etruscan 'starry vault' [fruNku] < [puluNku]< [puluNqua] > > Second question: what about the orthography? Is this version in Latin script > the official orthography or is it a transcription from another script (Arabic > for example)? > > Jan It's more a matter of the severe disjunction between the Latin pronunciation and the Fortunatian. Keep in mind, also, that pre- modern spelling was fairly shaky and that the literati were likely to use the Latin language. Here is the orthography as used at the capital, Tabian (Colonia Octaviana): 1. A [a] 2. B [b] 3. C [k] 4. D [d] 5. E [e], [@] For the use of E as [@], see 28 and 29 6. F [w] before a vowel, [u] before a consonant 7. G [dZ], [m] before N or M GN [mn] < [Nn] `magnus' `large' 8. H [usually silent and etymological] 9. I [i], [j] before vowels 10. K [k] (rare; mainly used in `religious' words) 11. L [r] 12. M [m] 13. N [n], [N] before a velar consonant (K, sometimes QF <rev> and GF<rev>] 14. O [@] 15. P [f] 16. QF<rev> [p], [ku] RELIQUAM [relikwam] > RELIQU [reliku] > RELIQU [r@riku] > RELIQUAS [relikwaS] > RELIQUAS [r@ripaS] 17. R [r] Also used to mark retroflex consonants: see 34-38 18. S [S] Initially [S] and [s] were (partially)distinct; then allophones in strict distrobution, with [S] initially, finally, and as the first component of clusters ST, SC, and SP; now they are distinct again. 19. T [t] 20. V [u] V never has the value [w] 21. X [ks] 22. Y [1] [1] arises from the merger of short [i] and [u]; it is also the reflex of a Latin unstressed vowel whose orthography wavers between /I/ and /U/ 23. Z [dz] 24. F<rev> [w], used after consonants such as Q and G; often confused with consonantal F [w] 25. I<bar> [ts] 26. W [s] See 18. This letter was based on the Etruscan [S]. It became synonymous with S when it was an allophone. When the distinction between [s] and [S] reappeared, the letters were assigned in the reverse order of their prior assignment. Digraphs 27. AU [o] 28. AE [e] If 28 is used for [e], then E is used for [@] 29. OE [e] If 29 is used for [e], then E is used for [@] 30. GF<rev> [b], [dZu] LINGUAM [liNgwam] > LINGU [liNgu] > LYNGU [r1ndZu] LINGUAS [liNgwaS] > LYNGUAS [r1mbaS] 31. ST [tS] 32. SP [fS] 33. SC [kS] 34. NI [n^] 35. TR [t.] 35-38 are retroflex consonants 36. DR [d.] 37. NR [n.] 38. SR [s.] 39. SQF<rev> [kS] < [k(w)S] < [Skw]< [skw] More commonly represented by 33 (SC)