Pre-Proto-Hathic phonology:
Initials:
p t c k ʔp ʔt ʔc ʔk ʔ
b d ɟ g ʔb ʔd ʔɟ ʔg
m n ɲ ŋ
f s h
l j w ʔl ʔj ʔw
ʘ ! ǁ ǂ ʔʘ ʔ! ʔǁ ʔǂ nʘ n! nǁ nǂ
Rimes:
a e o i u + length
ai au oi eu
Two suprasegmentals: vowel retroflexion (spreading over to coronals, which turn to retroflexes) written with -r, and 'retraction' applying to a syllable as a whole, written with an underdot on the vowel.
Strict CV syllable structure.
From Pre-Proto-Hathic to Proto-Hathic:
Retraction:
In retracted syllables:
* velars retract to uvulars
* h > ħ
* labials become labial-velars
* coronals retract to retroflexes
* y w lower to e̯ o̯
* a e o i u ay aw oy ew lower to ɑ ɛ ɒ ɪ ʊ ɑɛ ɑɔ ɒe ɛo
* aa ee oo ii uu diphthongize to ɑɑ əe əo əɪ əʊ
* in syllables containing uvulars, ɪ ʊ ɒe ɛo lower further to ɛ ɒ ɑɛ ɑɔ
Loss of glottalized consonants:
p t c k > ph th ch kh
ʔp ʔt ʔc ʔk > p t c k (these two changes also apply to clicks)
ʔb ʔd ʔɟ ʔg > ɓ ɗ j ɣ (note that this /j/ doesn't change in retraction! and it retains some frication, so I'll write it ʝ in retracted syllables)
ʔl ʔj ʔw > tɬ ɕ fʷ (which merges with [fʷ] from /f/ in retracted syllables)
Loss of palatals
c ɟ ch ɲ > t d s n in retracted syllables (kept distinct: alveolar, not dental)
c ɟ ch ɲ > i̯t i̯d i̯s i̯n except initially
c ɟ ch ɲ > ti̯ di̯ si̯ ni̯ initially, i̯ metathesizes to follow the vowel
If the final vowel was retracted, retraction spreads to the preceding syllable, but any phonetic effect on the last consonant is kept.
Proto-Hathic phonology
In what follows, there are two groups, descending from the unretracted and retracted sets in Pre-Proto-Hathic. The first group of initials can only take the first group of rimes, and the second group of initials can only take the second group of rimes.
Initials:
ph th kh p t k
b d g ɓ ɗ j ɣ
m n ŋ
f s h
l j w tɬ ɕ fʷ
ʘh !h ǁh ǂh ʘ ! ǁ ǂ nʘ n! nǁ nǂ
p̃h ʈh qh p̃ ʈ t̠ q
b̃ ɖ d̠ ɢ ɓ̃ ɗ̠ ʝ ʁ
m̃ ɳ n̠ ɴ
fʷ ʂ s̠ ħ
ɭ e̯ o̯ ʈɬ ɕ fʷ
ʘh !˞h ǁh ǂh ʘ !˞ ǁ ǂ nʘ n!˞ nǁ nǂ
Rimes:
a e i o u
au eu
ai ei oi ui
a:i e:i o:i u:i
a˞i e˞i o˞i i˞i u˞i
a˞:i e˞:i o˞:i i˞:i u˞:i
diphthongs in -i, except ai oi, can only precede coronals
ɑ ɛ ɒ ɪ ʊ ɑɛ ɑɔ ɒe ɛo
ɑɑ əe əo əɪ əʊ
ɪ ʊ ɒe ɛo don't contrast with to ɛ ɒ ɑɛ ɑɔ after uvulars
Palatalization
Coronals and velars merge as palatals before /a ɛ e ɨ i/, and any diphthong beginning in any of those.
Velars shift to palatals before /ar ɛr er ɨr ir/. (Not all of those would appear, but.)
Final vowels drop:
If it's retracted, retraction spreads to the preceding syllable.
Collapse of retracted vowels
ɑ ɛ ɒ ɪ ʊ > a ɛ ɔ ɨ u
ɑi ɛi ɒi ɪi ʊi > ɛ ɛ ɛ ɨ ɨ
ɑɛ ɑɔ ɒe ɛo > ɛɛ ɔɔ ɨɨ ɨɨ
ɑɑ əe əo əɪ əʊ > aa ɛɛ ɔɔ ɨɨi ɨɨu
Collapse of retracted consonants
Retracted alveolars merge into dentals, or palatalize.
Retroflexes retract /ɛ/ to /ə/ and merge into dentals.
Uvulars lower /ɨ u/ to /ə o/ and merge into velars, except ɢ, which merges into ɣ, and qh, which > x.
Front-back split:
ɕ shifts following high nonfront vowels to /i/.
Retraction table:
PPH form - PH unret. form - PH ret. form
p - pʰ - kpʰ
t - tʰ - ʈʰ
c - s - s̠
k - kʰ - qʰ
ʔp - p - kp
ʔt - t - ʈ
ʔc - t - t̠
ʔk - k - q
ʔ - ʔ - ʔˤ
b - b - gb
d - d - ɖ
ɟ - d - d̠
g - g - ɢ
ʔb - ɓ - gɓ
ʔd - ɗ - ᶑ
ʔɟ - j - ʝ
ʔg - ɣ - ʁ
m - m - ŋm
n - n - ɳ
ɲ - ɲ - n̠
ŋ - ŋ - ɴ
f - f - fʷ
s - s - ʂ
h - h - ħ
l - l - ɭ
j - j - e̯
w - w - o̯
ʔl - tɬ - ʈɬ
ʔj - ɕ - ɕ
ʔw - fʷ - fʷ
ñɛħ = cat 
