The Fundamentals of Proto-Ethúlic Grammar [Phonology]

Sound Inventory

Vowels

The following vowels have been reconstructed for Proto-Ethúlic:

Short: *a, *e, *i, *o, *u
Long: *ā, *ē, *ī, *ō, *ū

Consonants

The following consonants have been reconstructed for Proto-Ethúlic:

Voiceless Unaspirated Stops: *p *t *k *kʷ *ʔ
Voiced Unaspirated Stops: *b *d *g *gʷ
Voiceless Aspirated Stops: *pʰ *tʰ *kʰ *kʷʰ
Voiced Aspirated Stops: *bʰ *dʰ *gʰ *gʷʰ
Prenasalised Unaspirated Stops: *ᵐb *ⁿd *ᵑg *ᵑgʷ
Prenasalised Aspirated Stops: *ᵐbʰ *ⁿdʰ *ᵑgʰ *ᵑgʷʰ
Voiceless Fricatives: *f *s *x *xʷ *h
Voiced Fricatives: *v *z *γ *γʷ
Nasals: *m *n *ŋ *ŋʷ
Trill: *r
Approximants: *w *l *j

Phonotactics

The structure of a Proto-Ethúlic syllable can be formulated as follows:

(C)C(V)C(C)

Note that, as a result of ablaut explained in the next section, a vowel may or may not be present in a given syllable. In this case, one of the consonants (usually sonorants) forms the syllable nucleus.

Ablaut

Proto-Ethúlic has a three-way ablaut system. There are three grades in this system:

• zero grade
• short grade
• long grade

Each of the five vowels (a, *e, *i, *o, *u) can alternate with its zero (Ø) and long counterparts (*ā, *ē, *ī, *ō, *ū). Unlike languages such as Proto-Indo-European, the alternation is not triggered by the presence of stress. In which grade the vowel should be is determined based on the position of the given wordform within the declension/conjugation paradigm.

This ablaut system was later made more complex in the Ragonic branch, through the development of the Àwa Hrísmírin system.