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Re: [westasianconlangs] Phonology Question - k_wC



Another possibility is to change the *non* labiovelars.

So, for example, one common sound change with CC where
the pair are non-identical stops is to assimilate the first to the
second, a la Italian:

noctus > notte
lactus > latte

Thus:

ikti > itti

But, this could happen before you delabialize the labiovelars,
giving you:

ik_wti > ik_wti > ikti
ikti > itti > itti

The two changes would be the gemination change, and the
whole sale *k_w > k.  This would produce some interesting
irregularities:

k_wati > kati
kati > kati

But

ik_wti > ikti
ikti > itti

And perhaps...

mak_w > mak
mak > mak

But with a /-ta/ suffix...

mak_wta > makta
makta > matta

So you could have two different words with
the same nominative form, let's say (/mak/),
but when the plural /-ta/ suffix is added,
the first stem stays /mak/ while the second
becomes /mat/.  That'd be cool!

-David
*******************************************************************
"A male love inevivi i'ala'i oku i ue pokulu'ume o heki a."
"No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn."

-Jim Morrison

http://dedalvs.free.fr/

On Jun 2, 2008, at 1∞29 AM, Philip Newton wrote:

On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 4:25 AM, Eamon Graham <robertg@hidden.email> wrote:
> Essentially, I'm soliciting ideas for dealing with labial-velar
> consonant clusters. My language's phonology is pretty basic, and
> doesn't have complex consonant clusters, but its earlier (con) historical
> stage did. For example, if I have a word such as /ik_wti/ but would
> like to maintain its distinction with the a word such as /ikti/, what
> might I do? I thought of turning the labial into a vowel: /ikuti/.
> Another idea I had was perhaps something like /ikw@ti/.

Also consider shifting the place of articulation, e.g. to fully
labial: /ipti/. (I think Greek did /k_w/ --> /t/, for example.)

Cheers,
--
Philip Newton <philip.newton@hidden.email>