Hombraian -- a conlang based on Spanish


Phonetics
*********

Vowels:
a [a]
e [e] when stressed, [i] otherwise
i [i]
o [o] when stressed, [u] otherwise
u [u]

Furthermore, i and u are used for the glides [j] and [w] when adjacent
to other vowels.

Consonants:
p [p]
t [tS] before [i], [t] otherwise
c [k]
b [b]
d [dZ] before [i], [d] otherwise
g [g]
f [f]
s [h] syllable-finally, [S] before [i], [s] otherwise
z [Z]
x [S]
j [h]
h [0] (mute)


Phonological Derivation
***********************

...or how to derive Hombraian vocabulary from Spanish stock.

Vowels remain mostly unaffected in spelling.  The common diphthongs
ie and ue become ia and ua.  Note that unstressed e and o degrade
into [i] and [u] in pronunciation.

Consonants undergo changes that are often reflected in writing.  In
the following, the symbols W/Y are taken to mean a following 
back/front vowel.  A consonant or end of word is counted as a back
vowel environment.  The symbol # represents a word boundary, V 
represents an arbitrary vowel.

p        -> p
t        -> t
cW, qu   -> c

b,v      -> b // #___, m___, n___;
            u otherwise
d        -> d // #___, n___;
            r // r___;
	    l // l___;
	    z // V___[i];
            h otherwise
gW, guY  -> g // #___, n___;
            j otherwise
	    
f        -> f
h        -> 0 (vanishes)	    
	    
ch       -> x
gY, j    -> j
s, z, cY -> s
ll, y    -> z

r        -> r
l        -> l

n        -> m // ___b;
            n otherwise
m        -> m
n~       -> ni

	    
As in Spanish, the stress falls on the penultimate when a word ends
in a vowel, s or n, and on the ultimate otherwise.  In order to mark
stress on the ultimate in words ending on a vowel, add a -h; if the
word ends in s or n, double that vowel. 

Examples: venio' -> benioh [bin'jo]; adema's -> azemass [aZi'mah];
          corazo'n -> corasonn [kura'son]
	  

Sample Text
***********

Straight transliteration, without taking care of vocab and grammar... 
just demonstrating the sound changes.

Spanish:
El viento norte y el sol porfiaban sobre cu‡l de ellos era el m‡s 
fuerte, cuando acert— a pasar un viajero envuelto en ancha capa.

Hombraian:
Il bianto norte i il sol porfiauan soure cual de ezos era il mah 
fuarte, cuando asertoh a pasar un biajero embualto in anxa capa.

Pronunciation:
[il 'bjantu 'nortSi i il sol pur'fjawan 'sowri kwal dZi 'eZuh 'era 
il mah 'fwartSi  'kwandu asir'to a pa'sar um bja'heru im'bwaltu in 
'anSa 'kapa]


Grammar Changes
***************

Don't know yet...  possibly some Russian influences in verb endings,
producing -x [S] in 2sg and -m [m] in 1pl as well as return to the
nos, vos pronouns even for nominative.