Language scratchpad/Romlang scratchpad

This page contains a language under construction.

Sound changes
The sound changes common to all Romance languages are the following:
 * Unconditional loss of /h/
 * Loss of /n/ before a voiceless fricative (with compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel)
 * Loss of unstressed word-final /m/ (this may have caused compensatory lengthening)

The outcome of vowels is as follows:

The differences between */ɛ/ and */e/, and */ɔ/ and */o/, are neutralised in unstressed syllables. The Classical Latin diphthong /eu̯/ did not survive in Vulgar Latin.

Stressed vowels in open syllables and final syllables with a single consonant coda are lengthened. Unstressed vowels before hiatus become semivowels (I am not sure about */a/, though).

Vulgar Latin to Proto-West Romance

 * /w/ → /β/ (does not affect labiovelars)
 * /j/ → [ʝ] → [ɟ]
 * /z/ → [ʑ] → [ɟ]
 * Where /s/ is followed by a consonant, /e/ is inserted before the /s/.
 * /k/ → [kʲ] → [c] before front vowels
 * /g/ → [gʲ] → [ɟ] before front vowels
 * /sk/ → [skʲ] → [çc] before front vowels
 * [c, ɟ] → /t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ/
 * [çc] → /ʃt͡ʃ/ (this had different outcomes depending on the outcome of /t͡ʃ/; if the latter became /t͡s/ → /s/, then the result is /sː/, otherwise the result is /ʃː/)
 * /kʷ/ → /k/ before back vowels
 * /kʷ/ → [kᶣ] before front vowels (except *cinque "five" and related terms)
 * /l/ → [ɫ] before a consonant
 * /b, d, g/ → /β, ð, ɣ/ between vowels and between a vowel and /r/
 * /p, t, k/ → /b, d, g/ (also affects /kʷ/ and [kᶣ]) between vowels and between a vowel and /r/
 * Degemination of voiceless stops (reintroducing short /p, t, k/) between vowels and between a vowel and /r/
 * Geminate voiced stops become a nasal + stop sequence
 * /pl/ → /bl/ between vowels
 * /tl/ → /kl/ between vowels
 * /kl, gl/ → /ʎː/ between vowels
 * /ŋn/ → /ɲː/
 * /n(d)j/ → /ɲː/
 * /lj/ → /ʎː/
 * /rj/ → /rʲː/?
 * /sj/ → /sʲː/
 * /tj/ → /t͡sʲː/
 * /dj/ → [d͡zʲː] → /d͡ʒ/
 * [kᶣ, gᶣ] → /k, g/
 * /pt, ps/ → /tː, sː/
 * /k/ → /j/ before /t/ and /s/
 * /d͡ʒ/ → /j/ between vowels
 * /d/ is lost word-finally

Numbers in Proto-West Romance: Notes on orthography:
 * Grave accent represents open-mid vowels; both it and the acute represent stress.
 * &lt;c&gt; represents /t͡ʃ/ before front vowels, /k/ otherwise (the former is also represented by &lt;č&gt;).
 * &lt;h&gt; represents /ɣ/.
 * &lt;g&gt; represents /d͡ʒ/ before front vowels, /g/ otherwise (the former is also represented by &lt;j&gt;).

I presume three declensional classes in Proto-West Romance; I am a bit unsure about the existence of the genitive and dative cases (here I assume they existed based on their existence in pronouns).

First declension:

Second declension:

Third declension:

The third declension may have irregular nominative singular forms (e.g. *òmo "man", stem *òmen-).

The pronominal declension had genitive singulars ending in *-(j)os (the *-(j)- indicates palatalisation of the stem) and dative singulars ending in *-i or *-oi; the definite article ancestors *elle and *este had irregular masculine nominative singular forms.

First conjugation:

Second conjugation:

Copula: The copula is the only verb I know that retains the Latin future. Evidence of its existence is found in Old French (iert "one will be") and in Spanish (the form eres "you (singular) are", which replaced the expected *es).

Post-West Romance developments
Non-final unstressed vowels (not including diphthongs) occurring directly after stressed syllables are unconditionally lost, while for non-initial syllables directly before a stressed syllable only /a/ (becoming /e/) and diphthongs are preserved.