Luthic: Difference between revisions

Luthic has a shallow orthography, meaning very regular spelling with an almost one-to-one correspondence between letters and sounds. In linguistic terms, the writing system is close to being a phonemic orthography. The most important of the few exceptions are the following:

* The letter ⟨c⟩ represents the sound /k/ at the end of words and before the letters ⟨a⟩, ⟨o⟩, and ⟨u⟩ but represents the sound /t͡ʃ/ before the letters ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩.

* The letter ⟨g⟩ represents the sound /ɡ/ at the end of words and before the letters ⟨a⟩, ⟨o⟩, and ⟨u⟩ but represents the sound /d͡ʒ/ before the letters ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩. It also represents the sound /ŋ/ before ⟨c⟩, ⟨q⟩ or ⟨g⟩.

** Velar plosives after /ŋ/ are not further palatalised to /t͡ʃ/ or /d͡ʒ/.

** For a palatalised /t͡ʃ/ or /d͡ʒ/ after a nasal, ⟨n⟩ shall be used instead.

* /ɡʷ/ only happens before a nasal and is spelled as ⟨ggu⟩ /ŋɡʷ/, or inherited from Gothic -ggw- as a regular outcome of Germanic *ww: 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐍃 [triɡʷːs], tregguu [ˈtrɛɡ.ɡʷu]. The spelling ⟨gg⟩ stands for both /ŋɡ/ and /dd͡ʒ/, making it further confusing.

* The cluster ⟨sc⟩ /sk/ before the letters ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩ represents the sound /ʃ/, geminate if intervocalic.

* The spellings ⟨ci⟩ and ⟨gi⟩ before another vowel represent only /t͡ʃ/ or /d͡ʒ/ with no /i/ ~ /j/ sound.

** Unless ⟨c⟩ or ⟨g⟩ precede stressed /i/ (''pharmacia'' /fɐr.mɐˈtʃi.ɐ/ ‘pharmacy’, ''biologia'' /bjo.loˈdʒi.ɐ/ ‘biology’), these may be optionally spelt as ⟨cï⟩ and ⟨gï⟩ (''pharmacïa'', ''biologïa'').

* The letter ⟨h⟩ is always silent. It is used to form a digraph with ⟨c⟩ or ⟨g⟩ to represent /k/ or /ɡ/ before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩. It is also used with ⟨p⟩ to represent /ɸ/ and is found in some Greco-Roman words with ⟨t⟩ for /t/ mostly for aesthetics only, however, when spelt as ⟨th⟩, it is never further spirantised to /θ/.

* The spelling ⟨ch⟩ and ⟨gh⟩ always represent the sounds /k/ and /ɡ/.

* The spelling ⟨gl(i)⟩ and ⟨gn(i)⟩ represent the palatals /ʎ/ and /ɲ/ retrospectively; always geminate if intervocalic.

** Like ⟨ci⟩ and ⟨gi⟩, /i/ ~ /j/ are only pronounced if stressed and ⟨glï⟩ and ⟨gnï⟩ may be used instead.

If the clusters /ɡl/ and /ɡn/ are needed, they are spelt as ⟨gl⟩ and ⟨gn⟩ retrospectively, which may cause confusion.

* /kʷ/ is spelt ⟨q⟩ and ⟨qu⟩, the difference is ultimately etymological, as ⟨qu⟩ is only found in Latin and Italian loanwords.

The Luthic alphabet is considered to consist of 24 letters; ⟨j, k, w, x, y⟩ are excluded, and often avoided in loanwords, as ''tassi'' vs ''taxi'', ''cenophobo'' vs ''xenofobo'', ''geins'' vs ''jeans'', ''Giorche vs York'', ''Valsar'' vs ''Walsar''.

* The circumflex accent is used over vowels to indicate irregular stress.

** The e and o with grave accent is found in Italian loanwords ⟨è, ò⟩.

* The digraphs ⟨ae, au, ei⟩ are used to indicate /ɛ ɔ i/ retrospectively; ⟨ae, au, ei⟩ often stand for a stressed vowel.

* It is important to note that /e/ and /o/ are often lowered to /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ in VCC, and the digraphs are not used in that case.

* The diaeresis accent is used to distinguish from a digraph or a diphthong.

* The letter ⟨s⟩ can symbolise voiced or voiceless consonants. ⟨s⟩ symbolises /s/ onset before a vowel, when clustered with a voiceless consonant (⟨p, f, c, q(u)⟩), and when doubled (geminate); it symbolises /z/ when between vowels and when clustered with voiced consonants.

* Similarly, the letter ⟨z⟩ can symbolise voiced or voiceless consonants. ⟨z⟩ symbolises /t͡s/ onset before a vowel, when clustered with a voiceless consonant (⟨p, f, c, q(u)⟩), and when geminate; it symbolises /d͡z/ when between vowels (except in -zione suffixed nouns) and when clustered with voiced consonants. However, ⟨zz⟩ stands for both /tt͡s/ and /dd͡z/.

The letter ⟨þ⟩ can symbolise voiced or voiceless consonants. ⟨þ⟩ symbolises /θ/ in all cases, except when clustered with a voiced consonant, standing for /ð/.

* The status of the letter ⟨ð⟩ is debatable, and is one of the main reasons for common misspellings in Luthic, however, it is only used for etymological reasons, or when /ð/ is needed in a position where Gorgia toscana can not affect /d/. Nevertheless, many writers and scholars just ignore the existence of it.

 

Luthic has geminate, or double, consonants, which are distinguished by length and intensity. Length is distinctive for all consonants except for /d͡z/, /ʎ/ and /ɲ/, which are always geminate when between vowels, and /z/, which is always single. Geminate plosive and affricates are realised as lengthened closures. Geminate fricatives, nasals, and /l/ are realised as lengthened continuants. When triggered by Gorgia toscana, voiceless fricatives are always constrictive, but voiced fricatives are not very constrictive and often closer to approximants.

| [[w:E|E]], e || e [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈɛ]]] || aeqqu [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈɛk.kʷu]]] || [[w:Close-mid front unrounded vowel|/e/]] or [[w:Open-mid front unrounded vowel|/ɛ/]] || ê, è

| [[w:H|H]], h || acca [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈak.kɐ]]] || haglu [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈaʎ.ʎu]]] || ∅ || —

| [[w:O|O]], o || o [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈɔ]]] || oþalo [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[oˈθa.lo]]] || [[w:Close-mid back rounded vowel|/o/]] or [[w:Open-mid back rounded vowel|/ɔ/]] || ô, ò

| [[w:Q|Q]], q || quoppa [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈkʷɔp.pɐ]]] || qaerþa [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈkᶣɛr.θɐ]]] || [[w:Labialization|/kʷ/]] || —

| [[w:V|V]], v || vi [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈvi]]] || vigna [[IPA for Luthic#Standard_Ravennese_Luthic|[ˈviɲ.ɲɐ]]] || [[w:Voiced bilabial fricative|/β/]] or [[w:Voiced labiodental fricative|/v/]] || —