Leyes fonéticas

El descodificador de seis lenguas.

Las lenguas romances son latín hablado, transformado de manera regular. Un grupo latino como CT se convirtió en ch en España, en it en Francia y Portugal, en tt en Italia y en pt en Rumanía, en casi todas las palabras que lo tenían. Aprende una ley una vez y te rinde en miles de palabras: noche, nuit, notte, noite, noapte, nit; leche, lait, latte, leite, lapte, llet; hecho, fait, fatto, feito, fapt, fet. Cada ley de abajo muestra qué ocurrió, por qué lo hizo la boca, las excepciones y cómo usarla para adivinar una palabra que nunca has visto.

Ley 1 · Vocales7 ejemplos
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
Ley 2 · Vocales6 ejemplos
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
Ley 3 · Vocales7 ejemplos
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
Ley 4 · Vocales7 ejemplos
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
Ley 5 · Vocales6 ejemplos
AU becomes o
LA
AU
o
o
o (spelled o or au)
ou (said [o] in Brazil)
au (kept); ău unstressed
o
AURUMorooroorouroauror
Ley 6 · Vocales7 ejemplos
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
Ley 7 · Consonantes8 ejemplos
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
Ley 8 · Consonantes8 ejemplos
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
Ley 9 · Consonantes6 ejemplos
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
Ley 10 · Consonantes6 ejemplos
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
Ley 11 · Consonantes6 ejemplos
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
Ley 12 · Consonantes6 ejemplos
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
Ley 13 · Consonantes4 ejemplos
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
Ley 14 · Consonantes6 ejemplos
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
Ley 15 · Grupos consonánticos6 ejemplos
CT
LA
CT
tt
ch [tʃ]
it (i + t)
it (i + t)
pt
it, t (the i absorbed by the vowel: nit, fet)
NOCTEMnottenochenuitnoitenoaptenit
Ley 16 · Grupos consonánticos6 ejemplos
L + yod
LA
LI, LE + vowel
gli [ʎʎ]
j [x]
il, ill [j]
lh [ʎ]
i [j] (the l lost)
ll [ʎ]
FOLIAMfogliahojafeuillefolhafoaiefulla
Ley 17 · Grupos consonánticos5 ejemplos
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
Ley 18 · Grupos consonánticos6 ejemplos
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
Ley 19 · Grupos consonánticos6 ejemplos
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
Ley 20 · Grupos consonánticos6 ejemplos
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
Ley 21 · Grupos consonánticos6 ejemplos
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
Ley 22 · Grupos consonánticos5 ejemplos
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
Ley 23 · Terminaciones7 ejemplos
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
Ley 24 · Terminaciones5 ejemplos
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
Ley 25 · Terminaciones7 ejemplos
-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tà
LA
-TĀTEM
-tà
-dad (-tad in some words after a consonant)
-té
-dade (-tade after a consonant)
-tate
-tat
CĪVITĀTEMcittàciudadcitécidadecetateciutat
Ley 26 · Terminaciones6 ejemplos
-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
Ley 27 · Terminaciones5 ejemplos
-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
Ley 28 · Terminaciones4 ejemplos
Adverbs in -mente / -ment
LA
ablative MENTE 'with a … mind'
-mente
-mente
-ment
-mente
— (the bare adjective serves: vorbește clar)
-ment
CLĀRĀ MENTEchiaramenteclaramenteclairementclaramenteclarament
Ley 29 · Consonantes7 ejemplos
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
Ley 30 · Consonantes7 ejemplos
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
Ley 31 · Grupos consonánticos8 ejemplos
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
Ley 32 · Consonantes8 ejemplos
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
Ley 33 · Terminaciones7 ejemplos
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