Adāta/Sound changes

Sound changes from Ndak Ta to Adāta

Reconstructed by Corumayas. Changes marked with an *asterisk are irregular or uncertain.

• m=,n=,ŋ=/a/_
• Stress moves to the first syllable in all words.
• Monophthongization:
  • au
    • au/"ū/{closed syllable} (12 words)
    • *au/(")ā/{closed syllable} (2 words: maunde/"māthe, rauŋ/rān)
    • au/"ō/{open syllable} (~35 words; unstressed in mpau/"apō)
    • *au/"ē/{open syllable} (1 Gezoro loanword: kuthau/ku"thē)
  • ãu
    • ãu/"ū/{closed syllable} (regular by analogy with au; 1 word: mbãur/a"būr)
    • *ãu/(")ā/{closed syllable} (1 word: ntãug/"atāx)
    • *ãu/(")ūn/_# (1 word: tsilãu/"silūn; but cf. idãu/i"dō)
    • ãu/"ō/{open syllable} (3 words: idãu/i"dō, ãukwai/ō"pē, tsãuki/"sōki)
  • ai
    • ai/"ā/{closed syllable} (~28 words)
    • *ai/"ē/{closed syllable} (2 words: baitrai/bē"rē [cf. gaibra/xāra], paiŋkwu/pēkhu [cf. aimbu/āphu, aiŋgàu/ākhō, etc.])
    • ai/"ē/{open syllable} (~48 words; unstressed in ~7 or 8 words)
  • ãi
    • ãi/"ā/{closed syllable} (no examples, but this would clearly be the regular development)
    • *ãi/"ān/_# (2 words: abãi/a"bān, & unstressed in kumãi/"kumān; but cf. the following)
    • ãi/"ē/{open syllable} (4 words: ãidai/"ēdē, ŋwãi/iē, lewaitsãi/lezē"sē, & unstressed in ŋwolãi/"iolē)
  • (Gezoro oi seems to pattern with ai, more or less: thunoi/thu"nē, gekhoig/xe"khāg, gekhoija/xe"khāza; OTOH honkhoi/hokho)
  • NB: The latest change (as listed above) that affects a given word is assumed to be where the stress stays; in words with two identical diphthongs the stress falls on the second one (baitrai/bē"rē, naisŋai/nā"iē, bwaiiskaimel/zēi"kēmel). Exceptions to the expected stress patterns, according to these rules, include dauwai/"dōzē (instead of dō"zē) and ai"lau/ē"lō (instead of "ēlō). If these rules are correct, ē"lō appears to be the only word with irregular stress that doesn't stress the first syllable.
• V~/Vn/_#
• V~/V/_C
• m,ŋ/n/_#
• Nasal+plosive clusters become aspirates:
  • mb,mp,ŋkw/ph/V_V
  • nd,nt/th/V_V
  • ŋg,ŋk/kh/V_V
• *rt/th/V_V (airti/āthi; but cf. tsurtor/sūtor, orte/ūte)
• kw(h)/p(h)/_ (except paiŋkwu/pēkhu, where kwh/kh)
• *(gw/b/#_ in Gez. gwaunkhōs/būkhōs)
• bw/w/_
• w/j/_
• ia/ija/_ (miasko/mizāko)
• j/z/#_, V_V
• m,n,ŋ//_j
• *j/i/C_V (mwarwobm/iarioba suggests this)
• Lenition of /s/:
  • s/:/V_# (except Gez. gwaunkhōs/būkhōs)
  • s/:/V_o (disau/dī"ō, & Gez. reso/rēo, wesau/zē"ō)
  • *s/:/V_a (asa/ā, nasa/nā may imply this)
  • s//V_V
  • s/h/#_
  • (Gezoro x seems to behave like s: nalaxempha/nalāepha, which may then be more evidence for s/:/V_a)
• st,ts/s/_
• *mm/m/V_V (ammi/ami)
• VC/V:/_C
  • (in orte/ūte--and that word only, AFAICT--there's also a change in vowel quality)
• ŋ/j/_V
• g/j/_i,_u
• *g/j/i_V (Gez. digos/deiō; no counterexamples...)
• g/x/_ (except some Xšali loan words; & oddly, Gez. gekhoig/xe"khāg)
• Simplification of vowel/semivowel sequences:
  • *ji/i/e_ (deŋi/dei)
  • ji/ja/{most of the time} (gibm/iaba, giŋko/iakho, ŋimbu/iaphu, orŋi/ōia)
  • *ii or ji/ei/?C_# (apwi/apei)
  • *je,ie/ja/{rarely} (ŋende/iathe, malwe/malia; but not in at least 7 other words)
  • *ij/ej/_a,_o (imbwa/eia, & Gez. ijō/eiō, digos/deiō)
  • *ij/i/_a,_e (simwai/hi"ē, Gez. khiŋjara/khiara)
  • *ēe,ēī/ēi/_ (aise/ēi, bwaiiskaimel/zēi"kēmel)
  • *(possibly other similar changes turning vowel sequences into diphthongs?)
• *VV/V/_ (maybe) or /V:/_ (maybe)
• VV:,V:V,V:V:,V::/V:/_
• j/i/_ (in writing)

See also

• Ndak Ta
• Adāta