Lleis fonètiques

La clau per desxifrar sis llengües.

Les llengües romàniques són llatí parlat, canviat de manera regular. Un grup llatí com CT es va convertir en ch a Espanya, en it a França i Portugal, en tt a Itàlia i en pt a Romania, en gairebé totes les paraules que el tenien. Aprèn una llei una vegada i et servirà per a milers de paraules: noche, nuit, notte, noite, noapte, nit; leche, lait, latte, leite, lapte, llet; hecho, fait, fatto, feito, fapt, fet. Cada llei de sota mostra què va passar, per què ho va fer la boca, les excepcions i com fer-la servir per endevinar una paraula que no has vist mai.

Llei 1 · Vocals7 exemples
Stressed short E breaks into ie
LA
Ĕ (stressed)
ie (open syllable); e (closed)
ie (open and closed syllables)
ie, i (open syllable); e (closed)
e [ɛ] (no diphthong)
ie; ia before a or ă (piatră); fused with a preceding d, t (zece, țară)
e [ɛ] (no diphthong); i next to a palatal (llit)
PETRAMpietrapiedrapierrepedrapiatrăpedra
Llei 2 · Vocals6 exemples
Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / eu
LA
Ŏ (stressed)
uo (open syllable); o (closed)
ue (open and closed syllables)
eu, œu (open syllable); o (closed)
o [ɔ] (no diphthong)
o; oa [o̯a] when a or e follows (poartă, moarte)
o [ɔ] (no diphthong)
NOVUMnuovonuevoneufnovonounou
Llei 3 · Vocals7 exemples
French stressed free A becomes e
LA
A (stressed, open syllable)
a (kept)
a (kept)
e, è, é; ie after a palatal (chien)
a (kept)
a (kept); â before n (câine)
a (kept)
MAREmaremarmermarmaremar
Llei 4 · Vocals7 exemples
French fronts long U to [y]
LA
Ū
u [u] (kept)
u [u] (kept)
u [y]
u [u] (kept)
u [u] (kept)
u [u] (kept)
LŪNAMlunalunalunelualunălluna
Llei 5 · Vocals6 exemples
AU becomes o
LA
AU
o
o
o (spelled o or au)
ou (said [o] in Brazil)
au (kept); ău unstressed
o
AURUMorooroorouroauror
Llei 6 · Vocals7 exemples
French vowel + nasal becomes a nasal vowel
LA
vowel + N/M (same syllable)
vowel + n kept
vowel + n kept
nasal vowel (ɑ̃ ɔ̃ ɛ̃); n/m silent
nasal vowel or diphthong too (pão, bom, fim)
vowel + n kept; vowel raised before n (pâine, mână, timp)
oral vowel; final n after the stress lost (pa, vi)
PĀNEMpanepanpainpãopâinepa
Llei 7 · Consonants8 exemples
Spanish initial F- becomes h- (silent)
LA
F- (before a vowel)
f- kept
h- (silent); f- kept before ue and r
f- kept
f- kept
f- kept
f- kept
FĪLIUM (fr. from nom. FĪLIUS)figliohijofilsfilhofiufill
Llei 8 · Consonants8 exemples
Voiceless stops between vowels soften
LA
-P- -T- -C- (between vowels)
mostly kept (p t c)
b d g
v; t, c lost
b (v) d g
kept (p t c)
b (v) d g; p t c again at the end of a word (amic, agut)
VĪTAMvitavidavievidavităvida
Llei 9 · Consonants6 exemples
C before E and I
LA
C (before E, I)
tʃ (c)
θ (c, z); s where there is seseo
s (c, ç)
s (c, ç); z [z] between vowels
tʃ (c)
s (c, ç); between vowels lost, or u at the end (veí, deu)
CAELUMcielocielocielcéucercel
Llei 10 · Consonants6 exemples
French CA becomes cha
LA
CA
ca kept
ca kept
cha, che, chie [ʃ]
ca kept
ca kept (câ-, că- in Romanian spelling)
ca kept
CABALLUMcavallocaballochevalcavalocalcavall
Llei 11 · Consonants6 exemples
Initial I- (J-) and G before E, I
LA
I- (consonantal), G (before E, I)
gi, g [dʒ]
j [x] before a back vowel; y-, h- or nothing before e
j, g [ʒ]
j, g [ʒ]
j [ʒ] (joc); g [dʒ] before e, i (ger)
j, g [ʒ]
IOCUMgiocojuegojeujogojocjoc
Llei 12 · Consonants6 exemples
B and V merge in Spanish
LA
B, V
v kept; B between vowels → v
one sound: b, v = [b] (soft [β] between vowels)
v kept; B between vowels → v
v kept; B between vowels → v
v kept; B and V between vowels often lost (cal)
merged as in Spanish (Central Catalan); v kept in Balearic and parts of Valencia
VĪNUMvinovinovinvinhovinvi
Llei 13 · Consonants4 exemples
Germanic W- becomes gu- / g-
LA
Germanic W-
gu- [gw]
gu- ([gw] before a, o; [g] before e, i)
g(u)- [g]
gu- ([gw] before a, o; [g] before e, i)
— (Romanian has no words from this Germanic layer)
gu- ([gw] before a, o; [g] before e, i)
Germanic *WERRAguerraguerraguerreguerraguerra
Llei 14 · Consonants6 exemples
L before a consonant becomes u
LA
L + consonant
l kept (altro, caldo)
al → o (otro); ult → uch (mucho); often kept
l → u, fused with the vowel: au [o], ou [u], eau
al → ou, oi in some words (outro, foice); written l elsewhere, said [w] in Brazil
l kept (alt, cald)
l kept (altre, falç)
ALTERUMaltrootroautreoutroaltaltre
Llei 15 · Grups consonàntics6 exemples
CT
LA
CT
tt
ch [tʃ]
it (i + t)
it (i + t)
pt
it, t (the i absorbed by the vowel: nit, fet)
NOCTEMnottenochenuitnoitenoaptenit
Llei 16 · Grups consonàntics6 exemples
L + yod
LA
LI, LE + vowel
gli [ʎʎ]
j [x]
il, ill [j]
lh [ʎ]
i [j] (the l lost)
ll [ʎ]
FOLIAMfogliahojafeuillefolhafoaiefulla
Llei 17 · Grups consonàntics5 exemples
C'L inside a word
LA
-C(U)L-, -T(U)L- (after syncope)
cchi [kkj]
j [x]
il, ill [j]
lh [ʎ]
chi, che [kʲ]
ll [ʎ]
OCULUMocchioojoœilolhoochiull
Llei 18 · Grups consonàntics6 exemples
CL-, PL-, FL- at the start of a word
LA
CL- PL- FL-
chi- pi- fi-
ll- (often)
cl- pl- fl- (kept)
ch- [ʃ]
CL- → che-, chi- [kʲ]; PL-, FL- kept
cl- pl- fl- (kept)
CLĀVEMchiavellavecléchavecheieclau
Llei 19 · Grups consonàntics6 exemples
NN, GN and N + yod
LA
NN, GN, NI/NE + vowel
nn kept; GN, NI → gn [ɲɲ]
ñ [ɲ]
gn [ɲ]; NN → n (nasal vowel at the end)
nh [ɲ]; NN → n
NI → i (vie); GN → mn (pumn); NN → n (an)
ny [ɲ], also from NN (any)
ANNUMannoañoananoanany
Llei 20 · Grups consonàntics6 exemples
S + consonant at the start of a word
LA
S + consonant (initial)
s- (kept; takes lo, gli)
es-
é- (from es-, s lost)
es-
s- (kept)
es-
STELLAMstellaestrellaétoileestrelasteaestrella
Llei 21 · Grups consonàntics6 exemples
French loses S before a consonant (^)
LA
S + consonant (inside a word)
s kept
s kept
s lost; often marked ^ (ê â ô î û)
s kept
s kept
s kept
FESTAMfestafiestafêtefestafesta
Llei 22 · Grups consonàntics5 exemples
Italian assimilates clusters
LA
PT, PS, X [ks], MN
assimilated: tt, ss, ss, nn
simplified: pt → t; mn → ñ; x → j [x] or s
simplified or lost: pt → t; x → s
simplified: pt → t, mn → n; x → ss or ix [jʃ]
pt and mn kept (șapte, somn); x → s, ps
simplified: pt → t, mn → n; x → ix [ʃ]
SEPTEMsettesieteseptseteșapteset
Llei 23 · Terminacions7 exemples
Final vowels
LA
-UM, -AM, -EM (-M silent)
-o, -a, -e kept
-o, -a, -e kept; -e dropped after a single r, l, n, s, d, z
dropped; -A → mute -e
-o, -a, -e kept (said [u], [ɐ], [i]); -e dropped after a single r, l, s, z, n
-a → -ă, -e kept; -o (-U) dropped after a single consonant
dropped except -a (said [ə]); -e kept after clusters
LUPUMlupolobolouplobolupllop
Llei 24 · Terminacions5 exemples
Plurals: -s or -i
LA
-ŌS, -ĀS, -ĒS (acc.); -Ī, -AE (nom.)
-i, -e (from the nominative)
-s, -es (from the accusative)
-s, -x (written, mostly silent; from the accusative)
-s, -es (from the accusative)
-i, -e (like Italian); -uri for many neuters
-s, -es (from the accusative)
LUPŌS (acc.) / LUPĪ (nom.)lupilobosloupsloboslupillops
Llei 25 · Terminacions7 exemples
-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tà
LA
-TĀTEM
-tà
-dad (-tad in some words after a consonant)
-té
-dade (-tade after a consonant)
-tate
-tat
CĪVITĀTEMcittàciudadcitécidadecetateciutat
Llei 26 · Terminacions6 exemples
-TIŌNEM: learned -ción, inherited -zón
LA
-TIŌNEM
-zione (learned); inherited -zzone or -gione
-ción (learned); inherited -zón
-tion (learned); inherited -son
-ção (learned and inherited alike: nação, razão)
-țiune (learned); inherited -ciune (tăciune)
-ció (learned); inherited -ó (raó, tió)
RATIŌNEMragionerazónraisonrazãorațiune (learned)raó
Llei 27 · Terminacions5 exemples
-ĀRIUM: -ero, -ier, -aio
LA
-ĀRIUM, -ĀRIAM
-aio, -aia (Tuscan); also -aro, -iere
-ero, -era
-ier, -ière
-eiro, -eira
-ar, -are (căldare)
-er, -era
CABALLĀRIUMcavalierecaballerochevaliercavaleirocavaller
Llei 28 · Terminacions4 exemples
Adverbs in -mente / -ment
LA
ablative MENTE 'with a … mind'
-mente
-mente
-ment
-mente
— (the bare adjective serves: vorbește clar)
-ment
CLĀRĀ MENTEchiaramenteclaramenteclairementclaramenteclarament
Llei 29 · Consonants7 exemples
Single L between vowels: lost in Portuguese, r in Romanian
LA
-L- (single, between vowels)
l kept
l kept
l kept
lost (céu, fio, cor)
r (cer, fir, sare)
l kept
FĪLUMfilohilofilfiofirfil
Llei 30 · Consonants7 exemples
Portuguese loses single N between vowels
LA
-N- (single, between vowels)
n kept
n kept
n kept between vowels; at the end, a nasal vowel
lost, nasalizing the vowel (lã, mão); later often oral (lua, boa) or nh (vinho)
n kept; a before it raised to â (lână, mână)
n kept; lost where it became final (mà; see final-n)
LĀNAMlanalanalainelãlânăllana
Llei 31 · Grups consonàntics8 exemples
Romanian turns velars into labials
LA
CT, X [ks], GN, QU and GU (before A)
tt, ss, gn; qu, gu (assimilated or kept)
ch, j, ñ; cu, gu (velar kept or palatalized)
it, iss, gn; qu (velar kept, palatalized or lost)
it, x [ʃ], nh; qu, gu
pt, ps, mn; p, b (labial)
it/t, ix [ʃ], ny; qu, gu
OCTŌottoochohuitoitooptvuit
Llei 32 · Consonants8 exemples
Romanian T, D, S before i become ț, z, ș
LA
T, D, S (before I, Ĕ > ie, or a yod)
t, d, s kept
t, d, s kept
t, d, s kept
kept; t, d said [tʃ], [dʒ] before i in Brazil (dia)
ț [ts], z, ș [ʃ]
t, d, s kept
DĪCEREdiredecirdiredizerzicedir
Llei 33 · Terminacions7 exemples
Catalan drops -n at the end of a word
LA
-N (left final after the stress)
n kept, final vowel kept (pane, vino)
n kept (pan, vino)
n silent, vowel nasal (pain, vin)
nasal vowel or diphthong (pão, vinho, bom)
n kept (pâine, vin)
lost (pa, vi); back in the plural (pans, vins)
PĀNEMpanepanpainpãopâinepa

Stressed short E breaks into ie

Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / eu

French stressed free A becomes e

French fronts long U to [y]

AU becomes o

French vowel + nasal becomes a nasal vowel

Spanish initial F- becomes h- (silent)

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

C before E and I

French CA becomes cha

Initial I- (J-) and G before E, I

B and V merge in Spanish

Germanic W- becomes gu- / g-

L before a consonant becomes u

CT

L + yod

C'L inside a word

CL-, PL-, FL- at the start of a word

NN, GN and N + yod

S + consonant at the start of a word

French loses S before a consonant (^)

Italian assimilates clusters

Final vowels

Plurals: -s or -i

-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tà

-TIŌNEM: learned -ción, inherited -zón

-ĀRIUM: -ero, -ier, -aio

Adverbs in -mente / -ment

Single L between vowels: lost in Portuguese, r in Romanian

Portuguese loses single N between vowels

Romanian turns velars into labials

Romanian T, D, S before i become ț, z, ș

Catalan drops -n at the end of a word