Middle Tersamian broke off from the rest of the Tersamian branch at some time around 2000 years before present. Key phonological developments include:

  1. Ablaut monophthongs developed from Old Tersamian diphthongs.
  2. A new set of monophthongs developed from syllable-final /-j/ and /-w/.
  3. Aspirated and tenuis plosives evolved into unvoiced and voiced plosives.
  4. Unvoiced nasals merged with other phonemes.
  5. A distinction between tenuis and palatalised consonants was developed.

Lexurgy Sound Change Rules

This is a copy of the .lsc file used to change sounds using Lexurgy.

Feature +stress, +aspiration, +palatalisation, +throwaway0, +throwaway1, +long
Diacritic ʰ [+aspiration]
Diacritic ʲ [+palatalisation]
Diacritic ̥ [+throwaway0]
Diacritic ̊ [+throwaway1]
Diacritic ː [+long]
Diacritic ˈ (floating) [+stress]
Symbol ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯, ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯, ɛ̯ɐ, t͡s, d͡z, ʈ͡ʂ, t͡ɕ, d͡ʐ, d͡ʑ, eu̯, ɤu̯, oi̯, øy̑, ɑi̯, æi̯, ɑu̯, æu̯
Class consonant {m, mʲ, m̥, n, nʲ, n̥, ɳ, ɳʲ, ŋ, ŋʲ, ŋ̊, p, pʲ, pʰ, b, bʲ, t, tʲ, tʰ, d, dʲ, ʈ, ʈʲ, ɖ, ɖʲ, c, cʰ, k, kʲ, kʰ, g, gʲ, ʔ, f, fʲ, v, vʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, z, zʲ, ʂ, ɕ, ʐ, ʑ, x, xʲ, ɣ, ɣʲ, h, ç, ɦ, t͡s, t͡sʲ, d͡z, d͡zʲ, ʈ͡ʂ, t͡ɕ, d͡ʐ, d͡ʑ, l, lʲ, r, ɾ, ɾʲ, j, ɥ, w, mː, mʲː, nː, nʲː, ɳː, ɳʲː, ŋː, ŋʲː, pː, pʲː, bː, tː, tʲː, dː, dʲː, ʈː, ʈʲː, ɖː, ɖʲː, kː, kʲː, gː, gʲː, ʔː, fː, fʲː, vː, vʲː, sː, sʲː, zː, zʲː, ʂː, ɕː, ʐː, ʑː, xː, xʲː, ɣː, ɣʲː, hː, çː, t͡sː, t͡sʲː, d͡zː, d͡zʲː, ʈ͡ʂː, t͡ɕː, d͡ʐː, d͡ʑː, lː, lʲː, rː, ɾː, ɾʲː, jː, ɥː, wː}
Class single {m, mʲ, n, nʲ, ɳ, ɳʲ, ŋ, ŋʲ, p, pʲ, b, bʲ, t, tʲ, d, dʲ, ʈ, ʈʲ, ɖ, ɖʲ, k, kʲ, g, gʲ, ʔ, f, fʲ, v, vʲ, s, sʲ, z, zʲ, ʂ, ɕ, ʐ, ʑ, x, xʲ, ɣ, ɣʲ, h, ç, t͡s, t͡sʲ, d͡z, d͡zʲ, ʈ͡ʂ, t͡ɕ, d͡ʐ, d͡ʑ, l, lʲ, r, ɾ, ɾʲ, j, ɥ, w}
Class double {mː, mʲː, nː, nʲː, ɳː, ɳʲː, ŋː, ŋʲː, pː, pʲː, bː, bʲː, tː, tʲː, dː, dʲː, ʈː, ʈʲː, ɖː, ɖʲː, kː, kʲː, gː, gʲː, ʔː, fː, fʲː, vː, vʲː, sː, sʲː, zː, zʲː, ʂː, ɕː, ʐː, ʑː, xː, xʲː, ɣː, ɣʲː, hː, çː, t͡sː, t͡sʲː, d͡zː, d͡zʲː, ʈ͡ʂː, t͡ɕː, d͡ʐː, d͡ʑː, lː, lʲː, rː, ɾː, ɾʲː, jː, ɥː, wː}
Class voiced {m, mʲ, n, nʲ, ɳ, ɳʲ, ŋ, ŋʲ, b, bʲ, d, dʲ, ɖ, ɖʲ, g, gʲ, v, vʲ, z, zʲ, ʐ, ʑ, ɣ, ɣʲ, ɦ, d͡z, d͡zʲ, d͡ʐ, d͡ʑ, l, lʲ, r, ɾ, ɾʲ, j, ɥ, w}
Class strongvoiced {m, mʲ, n, nʲ, ɳ, ɳʲ, ŋ, ŋʲ, b, bʲ, d, dʲ, ɖ, ɖʲ, g, gʲ, v, vʲ, z, zʲ, ʐ, ʑ, ɣ, ɣʲ, ɦ, d͡z, d͡zʲ, d͡ʐ, d͡ʑ}
Class unvoiced {m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, p, pʲ, pʰ, t, tʲ, tʰ, ʈ, ʈʲ, c, cʰ, k, kʲ, kʰ, ʔ, f, fʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, ʂ, ɕ, x, xʲ, h, ç, t͡s, t͡sʲ, ʈ͡ʂ, t͡ɕ}
Class strongunvoiced {m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, p, pʲ, pʰ, t, tʲ, tʰ, ʈ, ʈʲ, c, cʰ, k, kʲ, kʰ, ʔ, f, fʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, ʂ, ɕ, x, xʲ, t͡s, t͡sʲ, ʈ͡ʂ, t͡ɕ}
Class plosive {p, pʲ, pʰ, b, bʲ, t, tʲ, tʰ, d, dʲ, ʈ, ʈʲ, ɖ, ɖʲ, c, cʰ, k, kʲ, kʰ, g, gʲ, ʔ}
Class liquid {l, lʲ, r, ɾ, ɾʲ}
Class glide {j, ɥ, w}
Class sonorant {l, lʲ, r, ɾ, ɾʲ, j, ɥ, w}
Class nonsonorant {m, mʲ, m̥, n, nʲ, n̥, ɳ, ɳʲ, ŋ, ŋʲ, ŋ̊, p, pʲ, pʰ, b, bʲ, t, tʲ, tʰ, d, dʲ, ʈ, ʈʲ, ɖ, ɖʲ, c, cʰ, k, kʲ, kʰ, g, gʲ, ʔ, f, fʲ, v, vʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, z, zʲ, ʂ, ɕ, ʐ, ʑ, x, xʲ, ɣ, ɣʲ, h, ç, ɦ, t͡s, t͡sʲ, d͡z, d͡zʲ, ʈ͡ʂ, t͡ɕ, d͡ʐ, d͡ʑ}
Class fricative {f, fʲ, v, vʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, z, zʲ, ʂ, ɕ, ʐ, ʑ, x, xʲ, ɣ, ɣʲ, h, ç, ɦ}
Class hfric {h, ç, ɦ}
Class zfric {f, fʲ, v, vʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, z, zʲ, ʂ, ɕ, ʐ, ʑ, x, xʲ, ɣ, ɣʲ}
Class sfric {f, fʲ, v, vʲ, s, sʲ, sʰ, z, zʲ, ʂ, ɕ, ʐ, ʑ}
Class nasal {m, mʲ, m̥, n, nʲ, n̥, ɳ, ɳʲ, ŋ, ŋʲ, ŋ̊}
Class tenuis {m, n, ɳ, ŋ, p, b, t, d, ʈ, ɖ, k, g, f, v, s, z, ʂ, ʐ, x, ɣ, h, t͡s, d͡z, ʈ͡ʂ, ɖ͡ʐ, l, r, ɾ, w}
Class palatal {mʲ, nʲ, ɳʲ, ŋʲ, pʲ, bʲ, tʲ, dʲ, ʈʲ, ɖʲ, kʲ, gʲ, fʲ, vʲ, sʲ, zʲ, ʂʲ, ʐʲ, xʲ, ɣʲ, ç, t͡sʲ, d͡zʲ, t͡ɕ, d͡ʑ, lʲ, j, ɾʲ, ɥ}
Class vowel {i, ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɯ, ɯː, e, ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɤ, ɤː, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, æ, æː, u, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə, y, yː, o, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯, ø, øː, eu̯, øy̑, oi̯, ɤu̯, ɑi̯, æi̯, ɑu̯, æu̯, ə}
Class front {i, ɪ, iː, e, ɛ, eː, ɛ̯ɐ, æ, æː, ʉ̯ə, y, yː, ɵʉ̯, ø, øː, eu̯, øy̑, ɑi̯, æi̯}
Class back {ɨ̯ə, ɯ, ɯː, ɤɨ̯, ɤ, ɤː, a, aː, ɑ, ɑː, u, ʊ, uː, o, ɔ, oː, oi̯, ɤu̯, ɑu̯, æu̯}
Class high {i, ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɯ, ɯː, u, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə, y, yː}
Class mid {e, ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɤ, ɤː, o, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯, ø, øː, eu̯, øy̑, oi̯, ɤu̯}
Class low {ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, æ, æː, ɑi̯, æi̯, ɑu̯, æu̯}
Class short {i, ɪ, ɯ, e, ɛ, ɤ, ɑ, æ, u, ʊ, y, o, ɔ, ø, ə}
Class long {iː, ɨ̯ə, ɯː, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɤː, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, æː, uː, ʉ̯ə, yː, oː, ɵʉ̯, øː, eu̯, øy̑, oi̯, ɤu̯, ɑi̯, æi̯, ɑu̯, æu̯}
Class moved {ɓ, ɗ, ʄ, ɠ, ʛ, ɢ, ɴ, ʀ, ʁ, ʟ, ʡ, ʜ, ʢ, ħ, ʕ}
Syllables:
    explicit
    
z-j-merger:
    z => j // {@consonant _, _ @consonant}

palatal-plosives-to-retroflex-affricates:
    {c, cʰ} => {ɖ͡ʐ, ʈ͡ʂ}

affricatisation-of-s:
    ʔ? s ʔ? => * t͡s * // {@nonsonorant&!{ɦ} _, _ @nonsonorant&!{ɦ}}

aspiration-to-voicing:
    {p, pʰ, t, tʰ, k, kʰ} => {b, p, d, t, g, k}

deaspiration-of-sh:
    sʰ => s
    
n-l-merger:
    n => l // { {@nonsonorant, n, n̥} _, _ {@nonsonorant, n, n̥}}

deletion-of-z-after-n:
    z => * / {n, n̥} _

devoicing-of-fricatives:
    v => f // {@voiced _, _ @voiced, {$, @vowel} _ @vowel}
    ɣ => x // {@voiced _, _ @voiced}

rounding-of-palatal-near-labial-approximants:
    j => ɥ / { {ɥ, w} _, _ {ɥ, w}}

deletion-of-w-near-ue:
    w => * / _ ʉ̯ə

resolving-of-glottal-stop:
    # this rule does not apply to all consonants
    ʔ => p / {m, m̥, b, p, f, v} _
    ʔ => t / {n̥, n, d, t, s, z, ʈ͡ʂ, ɖ͡ʐ, l, r, ɾ} _
    ʔ => k / {ŋ, ŋ̥, g, k, x, ɣ, w} _

voicing-assimilation rtl cleanup:
    {m̥, p, f, n̥, t, s, t͡s, ʂ, ʈ͡ʂ, ŋ̥, k, x, h, ʔ} => {m, b, v, n, d, z, d͡z, ʐ, ɖ͡ʐ, ŋ, g, ɣ, h, *} / _ @consonant* @strongvoiced {@vowel, $}
    {m, b, v, n, d, z, d͡z, ʐ, ɖ͡ʐ, ŋ, g, ɣ} => {m̥, p, f, n̥, t, s, t͡s, ʂ, ʈ͡ʂ, ŋ̥, k, x} / _ @consonant* @strongunvoiced {@vowel, $}
    
hl-n-merger:
    ɦl => n

# vowel harmony does not apply to vowels before root vowel
# so, we convert them into another symbol to prevent them from being changed during the harmonising process
lexical-height-harmony-freezer @vowel propagate:
    {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯}&[-stress] => {ɓ, ɗ, ʄ, ɠ, ʛ, ɢ, ɴ, ʀ, ʁ, ʟ, ʡ, ʜ, ʢ, ħ, ʕ} / _ {@vowel&[+stress], @moved}

lexical-height-harmony-high ltr:
    {ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯} => {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ʊ, uː, ɪ, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə} / @high @consonant* _ []* $$ []* H
    {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə} => {ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɔ, oː, ɛ, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯} / @mid @consonant* _ []* $$ []* H
    {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯} => {ɛ̯ɐ, ɛ̯ɐ, ɑ, ɛ̯ɐ, ɛ̯ɐ, ɑ, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ} / @low @consonant* _ []* $$ []* H

lexical-height-harmony-low rtl:
    {ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯} => {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ʊ, uː, ɪ, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə} / _ @consonant* @high []* $$ []* L
    {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə} => {ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɔ, oː, ɛ, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯} / _ @consonant* @mid []* $$ []* L
    {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯} => {ɛ̯ɐ, ɛ̯ɐ, ɑ, ɛ̯ɐ, ɛ̯ɐ, ɑ, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ} / _ @consonant* @low []* $$ []* L

lexical-height-harmony-defroster @moved:
    {ɓ, ɗ, ʄ, ɠ, ʛ, ɢ, ɴ, ʀ, ʁ, ʟ, ʡ, ʜ, ʢ, ħ, ʕ} => {ɪ, iː, ɨ̯ə, ɛ, eː, ɤɨ̯, ɑ, ɑː, ɛ̯ɐ, ʊ, uː, ʉ̯ə, ɔ, oː, ɵʉ̯}

final-h-merger:
    {m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, s, l} ɦ => {m, n, ŋ, z, ɾ} *

plosives-lenition-before-h:
    {b, d, g} @short? ɦ => {v, z, ɣ} * * / @vowel&[+stress] @consonant* _

deletion-of-final-h:
    ɦ => * / @consonant _

plosives-lenition-after-h:
    ɦ @short {b, d, g, ʔ} {ɪ, iː, ɛ, eː, ʉ̯ə}&[+stress] => * * {v, ɾ, ɣ, h} {ɪ, ɪ, ɛ, ɛ, ɵʉ̯}
    Then:
    ɦ (@vowel?)$1 {b, d, g, ʔ} {ɪ, iː, ɛ, eː, ʉ̯ə} => * $1 {v, ɾ, ɣ, h} {ɪ, ɪ, ɛ, ɛ, ɵʉ̯}

lenition-of-plosives-before-long-low-vowels:
    {p, t, k, s} {ɑː, eː, ɛ̯ɐ} => {b, d, g, s} {eː, iː, ɛ}

monophthongisation-of-back-diphthongs:
    {ɤɨ̯, ɨ̯ə} => {ɔ, ʊ} / {m, n, ŋ, m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, l} _ // @fricative {m, n, m̥, n̥, l} _
    {ɤɨ̯, ɨ̯ə} => {oː, uː} / @fricative {m, n, m̥, n̥, l} _

addition-of-j-before-e-velar:
    * => j / $ _ eː {k, g, x, ɣ}

h-induced-voicing:
    ɦ @short&[-stress] {m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, v, s, x, t͡s, ʈ͡ʂ} => * * {m, n, ŋ, w, z, ɣ, d͡z, ɖ͡ʐ}
    Then:
    ɦ (@vowel?)$1 {m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, v, s, x, t͡s, ʈ͡ʂ} => * $1 {m, n, ŋ, w, z, ɣ, d͡z, ɖ͡ʐ}

deletion-of-h:
    ɦ => *

e-glide-to-long:
    ɛj => eː

i-glide-to-u:
    ɪw => ʊ / {j, ɥ} _

glide-to-diphthong:
    {ɛ, {ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯}, ɑ, ɛ̯ɐ} w => {eu̯, ɤu̯, ɑu̯, æu̯} *
    {o, {ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯}, ɑ, ɛ̯ɐ} j => {oi̯, øy̑, ɑi̯, æi̯} *
    # {ɛw, {ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯} w, oj, {ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯} j, aj, ɛ̯ɐj, aw, ɛ̯ɐw} => {eu̯, ɤu̯, oi̯, øy̑, ɑi̯, æi̯, ɑu̯, æu̯}

# glide-to-diphthong-cleanup cleanup:
    # {ɛ, {ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯}, ɑ, ɛ̯ɐ} w => {eu̯, ɤu̯, ɑu̯, æu̯} * / _ {@consonant, $}
    # {o, {ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯}, ɑ, ɛ̯ɐ} j => {oi̯, øy̑, ɑi̯, æi̯} * / _ {@consonant, $}

intervocalic-voicing:
    {p, t, k, f, s, x} (j?)$1 => {b, d, g, v, z, ɣ} $1 / @vowel _ @vowel // _ {ɑ, ɑː, æu̯, ɑu̯}

palatalisation-after-alveolar-and-before-front-vowels:
    * {iː, eː, ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯} => j {e, eː, ɵʉ̯, ɵʉ̯} / @vowel {n,n̥,t,d,s,z,t͡s,d͡z,l} _

lenition-of-d-to-z:
    d => z / ɾ _

ablaut-diphthongs-to-monophthongs:
    {ɛ̯ɐ, ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯, ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯}&[+stress] => {æ, ɯ, ɤ, y, ø} // _ @consonant? {$, @vowel}
    {ɛ̯ɐ, ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯, ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯}&[+stress] => {æː, ɯː, ɤː, yː, øː} / _ @consonant? {$, @vowel}
    Then:
    {ɛ̯ɐ, ɨ̯ə, ɤɨ̯, ʉ̯ə, ɵʉ̯} => {æ, ɯ, ɤ, y, ø}

deletion-of-final-ablaut-monophthongs:
    {ɤ, ɯ}&[-stress] => * / {@vowel, v, z, ɣ, @nasal, @sonorant} _ $

lowering-of-u-after-velar:
    {ʊ, uː, y, yː} => {ɔ, oː, ø, øː} / {k, g, x, ɣ} _

merger-of-unvoiced-nasals:
    {m̥, n̥, ŋ̊} => {f, t, x}

voicing-assimilation:
    off

voicing-assimilation2 rtl cleanup:
    {p, f, t, s, t͡s, ʂ, ʈ͡ʂ, k, x} => {b, v, d, z, d͡z, ʐ, ɖ͡ʐ, g, ɣ} / _ @strongvoiced
    {b, v, d, z, d͡z, ʐ, ɖ͡ʐ, g, ɣ} => {p, f, t, s, t͡s, ʂ, ʈ͡ʂ, k, x} / _ @strongunvoiced

# n-r-t-d-merger:
#     {n, r, ɾ} {t, d} => d *

sibilantisation-of-intervocalic-lj:
    l => z / @vowel _ j @vowel
    
infinitive-a:
    {i, ɪ, ɯ, e, ɛ, ɤ, æ, u, ʊ, y, o, ɔ, ø}&[-stress] => * / _ $$ []* V
    Then: * => ə / _ $$ []* V // {ɑ, ə} _
    
gemination rtl:
    {t, t͡s, d, d͡z} {t͡s, d͡z} => * {t͡st͡s, d͡zd͡z}
    # {t, t͡s, d, d͡z, tː, t͡sː, dː, d͡zː} {t͡s, d͡z, t͡sː, d͡zː} => * {t͡sː, d͡zː, t͡sː, d͡zː}
    # { {m, mː}*2, {n, nː}*2, {ɳ, ɳː}*2, {ŋ, ŋː}*2} => {m, n, ɳ, ŋ}
    # { {p, pː}*2, {b, bː}*2, {t, tː}*2, {d, dː}*2, {ʈ, ʈː}*2, {ɖ, ɖː}*2, {k, kː}*2, {g, gː}*2, {ʔ, ʔː}*2} => {pː, bː, tː, dː, ʈː, ɖː, kː, gː, ʔː}
    # { {f, fː}*2, {v, vː}*2, {s, sː}*2, {z, zː}*2, {ʂ, ʂː}*2, {ʐ, ʐː}*2, {x, xː}*2, {ɣ, ɣː}*2, {h, hː}*2} => {fː, vː, sː, zː, ʂː, ʐː, xː, ɣː, hː}
    # { {l, lː}*2, {r, rː, ɾ, ɾː}*2, {j, jː}*2, {w, wː}*2, {ɥ, ɥː}*2} => {lː, rː, jː, wː, ɥː}

degemination:
    @consonant$1 $1 => $1 * / _ @consonant
    # {mː, nː, ɳː, ŋː, pː, bː, tː, dː, ʈː, ɖː, kː, gː, ʔː, fː, vː, sː, zː, ʂː, ʐː, ʑː, xː, ɣː, hː, t͡sː, d͡zː, ʈ͡ʂː, d͡ʐː, lː, rː, ɾː, jː, ɥː, wː} => {m, n, ɳ, ŋ, p, b, t, d, ʈ, ɖ, k, g, ʔ, f, v, s, z, ʂ, ʐ, ʑ, x, ɣ, h, t͡s, d͡z, ʈ͡ʂ, d͡ʐ, l, r, ɾ, j, ɥ, w} / _ {@consonant, $}

palatalisation propagate:
    @tenuis => @palatal / {@palatal _, _ @palatal, _ {ɪ, iː}}

palatalisation-after:
    {xʲ, ɣʲ} => {ç, j}
    Then: j => * / @consonant _
    Then: j => ɥ / _ ɥ
    Then: ɥ => * / @consonant _ {y, yː} // @vowel ɥ _
    Then: ɥ => * / @palatal _ {ʊ, uː, y, yː} // ɥ _

j-to-labiopalatal-before-high-rounded cleanup:
    {j, jː} => {ɥ, ɥː} / _ {ʊ, uː, y, yː}
    
affricate-voicing:
    {t͡s, t͡sʲ} => {d͡z, d͡zʲ} / {@voiced _, _ @voiced}

deletion-of-final-i:
    ɪ => * / _ {@vowel, $}

new-vowel-qualities:
    {ɪ, ɛ, ʊ, ɔ} => {i, e, u, o}

gemination-symbol:
    @single$1 ($1)+ => [+long] *