The Correspondence Library
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 8:09 am
Here's an idea: since ZBB posters are, collectively, familiar with a wide variety of languages, why don't we start compiling sound change and correspondence lists for the languages we know? This way, when a conlanger is basing his work on a certain language family, and wants to know how sounds tend to change in that family, he can consult these lists for inspiration. This would be a great resource, and would save much time for those who don't have ready access to an academic library.
I'll start off with a comprehensive (_not_ exhaustive) list of changes from Proto Algonquian > Cheyenne, taken primarily from Bloomfield and Leman:
PA=Proto Algonquian; Ch = Cheyenne
Vowels:
PA /a/ > Ch /o/
PA /o/ > Ch /e/
PA /i/ > Ch /e/
PA /e/ > Ch /a/
Consonants:
PA /t/ > Ch /ht/
PA /l/ > Ch /t/
PA /th/ > /t/
PA /tl/ > Ch /t/
PA /p/ > Ch /hp/ in a few cases; mostly, it dropped out
PA /k/ > Ch /hk/ in a few cases; mostly, it dropped out
PA /ch/ > Ch /s/
PA /y/ > Ch /t/ or /e/
PA /w/ > Ch /v/ or /o/
PA /sh/ > Ch /sh/ or /x/
PA /s/ > Ch /h/
Consonant clusters:
All clusters involving /k/ > ?
In nasal + non-nasal clusters, the nasal survived; in nasal+nasal clusters, /m/ dropped out
In semivowel + nasal clusters, the nasal survived
In /p/ clusters, the /p/ either dropped out or changed to a /t/
In /t/ + semivowel clusters, the /t/ survived
I'll start off with a comprehensive (_not_ exhaustive) list of changes from Proto Algonquian > Cheyenne, taken primarily from Bloomfield and Leman:
PA=Proto Algonquian; Ch = Cheyenne
Vowels:
PA /a/ > Ch /o/
PA /o/ > Ch /e/
PA /i/ > Ch /e/
PA /e/ > Ch /a/
Consonants:
PA /t/ > Ch /ht/
PA /l/ > Ch /t/
PA /th/ > /t/
PA /tl/ > Ch /t/
PA /p/ > Ch /hp/ in a few cases; mostly, it dropped out
PA /k/ > Ch /hk/ in a few cases; mostly, it dropped out
PA /ch/ > Ch /s/
PA /y/ > Ch /t/ or /e/
PA /w/ > Ch /v/ or /o/
PA /sh/ > Ch /sh/ or /x/
PA /s/ > Ch /h/
Consonant clusters:
All clusters involving /k/ > ?
In nasal + non-nasal clusters, the nasal survived; in nasal+nasal clusters, /m/ dropped out
In semivowel + nasal clusters, the nasal survived
In /p/ clusters, the /p/ either dropped out or changed to a /t/
In /t/ + semivowel clusters, the /t/ survived