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Re: [romconlang] Re: Capraian diphthongs and vowel shifts



--- James Campbell <kraamlep@hidden.email> wrote:

> Padraic replied thusly to my Capraian
> wonderings:
> 
> > > Capraian Vowel Shift (courtesy of
> > > Thomas Leigh), such that the Germanic
> vowels
> > > shuffled round one: i > e > a >
> > > o > u > y. However, only the first vowel of
> > > diphthongs is so affected.
> > >
> > > This leaves a problem. While the diphthongs
> > > /au/ and /eu/ neatly turn into
> > > /ou/ and /au/ respectively, /ai/ and /ei/
> are
> > > left as /oi/ and /ai/, with
> > > the vowel /i/ which no longer exists in
> > > Capraian.
> >
> > I guess if /i/ disappeared bef�re the shift,
> /ai/
> > would have first become /a/ (perhaps with
> > compensatory lengthening) and then you might
> be
> > left with a plain vowel /o:/. /ei/ > /e:/ >
> /a:/
> 
> Well, /i/ disappeared *as a result of* the
> shift -- /i/ became /e/. 

OK.

> I am
> inclining towards the diphthongs becoming long
> vowels, as you suggest.

Well, if you have /i/ to /e/, then I suspect the
diphthongs might follow along: /ai/ > /ae/
perhaps to /&/? Course, you could always
introduce a rule that /i/ simply disappears in
diphthongs.

Padraic.


=====
N' pozont pass feaire pissoir 'ne ncawdr�n sanq' baccionte y vos e-z-y chuni�n.
[They can't do anything without a song and a dance! -- Kemrese maxim]

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