Proto-Semitic Inventory
| Labial | Dental | Dent. Affr. | Sibilant | Lateral | Velar | Pharyngeal | Glottal |
---|
Vls Stop | *p | *t | *tθ | *ts | *tɬ | *k |
Vd Stop | *b | *d | *dð | *dz | | *ɡ |
Ejective | | *t’ | *tθ’ | *ts’ | *tɬ’ | *k’ (*kx’) | | *ʔ |
Vls Fric | | | | *s | | *x | *ħ | *h |
Vd Fric | | | | | | *ɣ | *ʕ |
Nasal | *m | *n |
Liquid | | *r | | | *l |
Glide | *w | | | *j |
The affricates are traditionally written as fricatives: */tθ dð tθ’/ = <ṯ ḏ ṯ̣>, */ts dz ts’/ = <s z ṣ>, */tɬ tɬ’/ = <ś ṣ́>, (*/kx’/ = <x̣>); and the alveolar sibilant fricative */s/ is traditionally written <š>.
The "emphatics" (probably ejectives in Proto-Semitic, but velarized or pharyngealized in some daughter languages) are traditionally written with an underdot: */t’ k’/ = <ṭ ḳ> (the latter is often written <q> instead). Other common though not universal notations that depart from IPA symbols include */x ɣ ħ ʕ ʔ j/ as <ḫ ġ ḥ ʿ ʾ y>.
In this document the phonetic reconstructions will be used in place of the traditional notation—however, the palatal glide */j/ will be written <y>.
Vowels were long and short */a i u/, and diphthongs */aj aw/; the long vowels are written <ā ī ū>, and the diphthongs <ay aw>. Stress will be indicated with acute accents when necessary. At least by the time when stress becomes relevant for Phoenician/Punic's vowel changes, it fell on the penultimate vowel in most words (which later became the ultimate when final short vowels were lost).
Proto-Semitic to Phoenician
kx’ → ħ
s → h /__V (in a few high-frequency words/morphemes)
w → y /i__V
w → y /#__
n → C1 /__C1 (did not apply before "gutterals": velar fricatives, pharyngeals, and glottals)?
tɬ’ → ts’
tθ → θ → s
dð → dz
tθ’ → ts’
ʔ → :Ø /__C (in nouns)
ā → ō (the "Canaanite Shift") — approx. 2000 bc
tɬ → ɬ → s
x, ɣ → ħ, ʕ
aw, ay → ō, ē /__{C,#}
awa, aya, iya → ā /__# (and some other environments??)
V̆y → Ø /__V̄
iyV → ī
iy → ī /__C
ayV → ē
VhV, VwV, VyV → V̄ (. . .)
h → y /#__{i,ī}
i → e /__$ (including before long consonants)
é → ē /__$
á → ā /__$
u → o (sporadic, most common next to labials)
ahu → aw /__# (irregular??)
V̆ → Ø /VC(C)__# — approx. 1000 bc
y, w → iy, iw → ī, ū /C__#
y → Ø /ē__#
C1C1 → C1 /__#
Phoenician to Neo-Punic
Ø → a /{ħ,ʕ}__C#
Ø → a /V[!a]__{ħ,ʕ}#
VC1+{ħ,ʕ,ʔ,h} → ǝC1áC2 /__#
ō → ū
ā → ō
aw → ō /__#
a → ā /__{ħ,ʕ,ʔ,h} (and sometimes /{ħ,ʕ,ʔ,h}__)
aa → ā
V̆ → ǝ /__$ when pretonic (verbs) or propretonic (nouns) — approx. 200 bc
yi, yī → ī /#__
a, i, u → ă, ə, ŭ (but i remains in some closed syllables – including certain verb forms)
ā, ī, ū, ē, ō → a, i, u, e, o
ʔ → Ø
ă → ǝ /__CCV[+stress] (sporadic)
Ø → ǝ /CVC__C# (except in the combos: C+Stop/Affric, Liq+N)
p, t, ts, k → f, θ, š, x
ħ → h
h, ʕ → Ø
N → [αPOA] /__C[αPOA]
b, d, g → [v], z, [γ] /__C
dz → z — approx. 450 ad
Neo-Punic to Modern Punic
ă → a /__CV[short]
ă → ə /__CV[full]
ə → ŭ /__C[+lab]#, C[+lab]__l{C,#}
C[alveolar] → [+emph] /__(…)C[+emph](…)__, __{ŭ,w}__
C[+grave] → Cʷ /__{u,ŭ}
e → i /__N__ (rarely)
i, u, ŭ, o, e, a → ea, o, o, ɔ, ɛ, ɔ /C[+emph]__C[+emph] — approx. 700 ad
V1V1 → V1:
eă, oă, eo, ŭə, əe, əi, əu… → ea, oa, ea, ea, ei, ei, oo…
ae, ao → ɛ, ɔ
u, ŭ → Ø /Cʷ__V
i, u → y, w /#__V
Ø → w /V[+rd]__V (but oa remains)
Ø → y /V[+front]__V (but ie, ei, ea remain)
Ø → w /V__V[+rd]
Ø → y /V__V
ŭ → ə
ə → Ø /#C__C(:)V … !_w/y
ə → Ø /Cə[+stress]C(:)__C# (sporadic)
ə → Ø /#__CV%(…)#
ə → Ø /VC(:)__C(:)V
əə → aa
i → ie /__#
i, e, o, ă → ie, ea, oa, a /__{r,ṛ,ḳ(ʷ)} (sometimes __ṭṣ) (but not /C[+emph]__ḳ(ʷ))
i, ie → ei, i /{r,ṛ,ḳ(ʷ),…ṭṭ}__
ə → ă /{C[+emph],r}__{C[+emph],r}
y, w → i, u /#__C
θ̣, ṣ, ṣṣ, ṭ, ṭṣ, ḳ(ʷ) → ẓ, ẓ, ẓẓ, ḍ, γ, q(ʷ) — approx. 1100 ad
sθ → š ~ št
a, ă → ɔ /#{r,ṛ}__CC, __{r,ṛ}C#
a → ɛ /θ__#
gʷ, fʷ, ppʷ → bʷ, γ, γγʷ
b, d, ḍ, g → v, z, ẓ, γ /__S, #__N[homorganic]
z → s ~ ž /__C
ẓ → s /__S
S → [vls] /{s,ṣ,š}__ (sporadic)
s, ṣ → š /__C
l, ḷ → Ø /V[+rd]__#
ă, ǝ, a → ɔ, ɔ, o /__{l,ḷ}$
lθ → šš
{l,ḷ}C → C: (but not when C=w/y) — approx. 1500 ad
a, ă → e, ɛ /__š
F → Ø /__š
ẓ → ḍ /F__ (here? or ordered differently?)
ăy(y)i, ayi […ǝyi, eyi…?] → ei
r, ṛ → F[+cor] /__F[+cor]__
r, ṛ → l[αemph] /__l[αemph]__
Ø → ǝ /{r,ṛ}__C#
θs → ts
m, n, ṇ → b, d, ḍ /__{l,ḷ,r,ṛ}
N → s /__s …
N → C /__C[non-homorganic] ? (but not other nasals)
C → N /__N[homorganic] ??
b → w /V__V — approx. 1800 ad
ǝ{r,ṛ}C, {r,ṛ}ǝC → C{r} /#__V
C → C: /ǝ[-stress]__V
V[-stress]CV[+stress] → [+str]C[-str] /__#
b, d, g → p, t, k /__#
vF → vvə /__#
Obs → [αvoice] /__Obs[αvoice] — approx. 1900 ad
bb, dd, ḍḍ, gg → pp, tt, ṭṭ, kk …
vv, zz, ẓẓ, ss, yy, ww → bb, ddz, ḍḍ, tts, žž, bbʷ . . .
ddz → tts /__#
ea, oa, ie, ei → a, a, e, i /__{CC,C:}
Correspondence Tables
Proto-Semitic > Neo-Punic
Proto-Semitic | Neo-Punic |
---|
*p | f |
*b | b, v |
*t | θ |
*d | d, z |
*t’ <ṭ> | t’ |
*tθ <ṯ> | s |
*dð <ḏ> | z |
*tθ’ <ṯ̣> | ts’ |
*ts <s> | š |
*dz <z> | z |
*ts’ <ṣ> | ts’ |
*tɬ <ś> | s |
*tɬ’ <ṣ́> | ts’ |
*k | x |
*ɡ | ɡ, γ |
*k’ <q/ḳ> | k’ |
*s <š> | s |
*x <ḫ> | Ø |
*ħ <ḥ> | Ø |
*ɣ <ġ> | Ø |
*ʕ <ʿ> | Ø |
*ʔ <ʾ> | Ø |
*h | Ø |
*m | m |
*n | n |
*r | r |
*l | l |
*w | w, y- |
*j <y> | y |
| |
*a | o, ă, ǝ, a |
*ā | u |
*i | e, ǝ |
*ī | i |
*u | ŭ, o, ǝ |
*ū | u |
*ay | e |
*aw | u |
Neo-Punic > Modern Punic
Neo-Punic | Modern Punic |
---|
pp | pp, γγʷ |
b | w, b, -p, bʷ |
bb | pp, bbʷ |
tt | tt |
t’ | ḍ, ẓ |
t’t’ | ṭṭ |
d | d, -t |
dd | tt |
kk | kk, kkʷ |
k’ | q, qʷ |
k’k’ | qq, qqʷ |
ɡ | ɡ, -k, bʷ |
ɡɡ | kk, bbʷ |
ts’ | γ |
ts’ts’ | γγ |
f | f, γ |
ff | ff, γγ |
(v) | (v) |
θ | θ, ẓ |
s | s, ẓ, š |
ss | tts |
z | z, ž, š |
zz | ddz |
š | š |
šš | šš |
x | x, xʷ |
(γ) | γ |
m | m, mʷ, b |
mm | mm, mmʷ |
n | n, d |
nn | nn |
r | r |
rr | rr |
l | l, Ø(:) |
ll | ll |
w | w |
ww | bbʷ |
y | y |
yy | žž |
| |
a | a, ɔ, o, e |
e | e, ea, i, ɛ |
o | o, oa, ɔ |
i | i, ie, ea, ei |
u | ʷu, o |
ă | a, ă, ǝ, ɔ, ɛ |
ŭ | ʷǝ, o |
ǝ | Ø, ǝ, ɔ, ă |