Lois phonétiques

La clé de déchiffrement de six langues.

Les langues romanes sont du latin parlé, transformé de façon régulière. Un groupe latin comme CT est devenu ch en Espagne, it en France et au Portugal, tt en Italie et pt en Roumanie — dans presque tous les mots qui le contenaient. Apprenez une loi une fois, elle rapporte sur des milliers de mots : noche, nuit, notte, noite, noapte, nit ; leche, lait, latte, leite, lapte, llet ; hecho, fait, fatto, feito, fapt, fet. Chaque loi ci-dessous montre ce qui s’est passé, pourquoi la bouche l’a fait, les exceptions, et comment s’en servir pour deviner un mot jamais vu.

Loi 1 · Voyelles7 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
Loi 2 · Voyelles6 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
Loi 3 · Voyelles7 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
Loi 4 · Voyelles7 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
Loi 5 · Voyelles6 exemples
AU becomes o
LA
AU
o
o
o (spelled o or au)
ou (said [o] in Brazil)
au (kept); ău unstressed
o
AURUMorooroorouroauror
Loi 6 · Voyelles7 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
Loi 7 · Consonnes8 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
Loi 8 · Consonnes8 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
Loi 9 · Consonnes6 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
Loi 10 · Consonnes6 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
Loi 11 · Consonnes6 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
Loi 12 · Consonnes6 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
Loi 13 · Consonnes4 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
Loi 14 · Consonnes6 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
Loi 15 · Groupes consonantiques6 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
Loi 16 · Groupes consonantiques6 exemples
L + yod
LA
LI, LE + vowel
gli [ʎʎ]
j [x]
il, ill [j]
lh [ʎ]
i [j] (the l lost)
ll [ʎ]
FOLIAMfogliahojafeuillefolhafoaiefulla
Loi 17 · Groupes consonantiques5 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
Loi 18 · Groupes consonantiques6 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
Loi 19 · Groupes consonantiques6 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
Loi 20 · Groupes consonantiques6 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
Loi 21 · Groupes consonantiques6 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
Loi 22 · Groupes consonantiques5 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
Loi 23 · Finales7 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
Loi 24 · Finales5 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
Loi 25 · Finales7 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
Loi 26 · Finales6 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
Loi 27 · Finales5 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
Loi 28 · Finales4 exemples
Adverbs in -mente / -ment
LA
ablative MENTE 'with a … mind'
-mente
-mente
-ment
-mente
— (the bare adjective serves: vorbește clar)
-ment
CLĀRĀ MENTEchiaramenteclaramenteclairementclaramenteclarament
Loi 29 · Consonnes7 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
Loi 30 · Consonnes7 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
Loi 31 · Groupes consonantiques8 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
Loi 32 · Consonnes8 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
Loi 33 · Finales7 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