[ˈɡäl̠.l̠i.ä ɛs̠t̪ ˈɔm.nɪs̠ d̪iːˈu̯iː.s̠ä ɪn ˈpär.t̪eːs̠ ˈt̪ɾeːs̠ | ˈkʷäː.ɾʊ̃ˑ ˈuː.nä̃ˑ ˈɪŋ.kɔ.ɫ̪ʊn̪t̪ ˈbɛɫ̪.ɡäe̯ | ˈä.li.ä̃ˑ ä.kʷiːˈt̪äː.niː | ˈt̪ɛr.t̪i.ä̃ˑ kʷiː ɪpˈs̠oː.ɾʊ̃ˑ ˈlɪŋ.ɡʷä ˈkɛɫ̪t̪äe̯ | ˈnɔs̠.t̪ɾä
ˈɡäl̠.l̠iː äp.pɛl̠ˈl̠än̪.t̪ʊr ‖ hiː ˈɔm.neːs̠ ˈlɪŋ.ɡʷäː | ĩː.s̠t̪ɪˈt̪uː.t̪iːs̠ | ˈɫ̪eː.ɡɪ.bʊs̠ ˈɪn̪.t̪ɛr ˈs̠eː ˈd̪ɪf.fɛ.ɾʊn̪t̪]
Let's say it's to become a Romance language spoken in a more thoroughly Romanised Germania:
- The same i-mutation that affects forms of Proto-Germanic also affects this language; e-mutation sometimes also triggers: /ae/ > [æj]
- Intervocalic and post-nasal [b d g] > [ʋ ð j], [u̯] and coda [ɫ̪] > [ʋ]; [g] > [j] is blocked by labialisation;
- Elsewhere [ɫ̪] merges with [l̠];
- Non-geminate voiceless stops become voiced intervocalically and preceding and following resonants;
- Transposition of /dreːs/ > /deːrs/, at least partially by analogy with other forms;
- Pretonic long vowels shorten, with lengthening of either the stressed vowel if it is short, or the preceding vowel (if any) if it is short; quantitative metathesis of posttonic length to stressed short vowels immediately preceding;
- Nasal vowels eject [m] into the following syllable after /u/, or [n̪] elsewhere;
- Short [ä] > [ɐ], stressed [ɔ] lengthens to [oː], unstressed [ɔ] merges with [ɐ]; to fill the gap, a chain shift of the short vowels is triggered:
- [ʊ] > [ɔ], restoring short [ɔ]
- [ɪ] > [ɨ] > [ʊ];
- [ɛ] > [ɪ]
- [æ] > [ɛ]
- A vibrant literary scene develops, and, while "proper" Latin is often used, a local variant on the orthography, chiefly used by those spelling out sounds in the vernacular, writing pieces to appeal to the masses, also comes into use, and is reproduced below, with modern macrons added to ease reading:
['ɡɛl̠.l̠i.ɐ ɪs̠t̪ ˈøm.nʊs̠ d̪ʊˈʋiː.s̠ɐ ʊn ˈpæːr.d̪ɪs̠ ˈd̪eːɾs̠ | ˈkʷäː.ɾɔm ˈuː.n̪ɐn̪ ˈʊŋ.gɐ.l̠ɔn̪d̪ ˈbʊʋ.ɡɛj | ˈɛ.li.än̪ˑ æː.gʷʊˈdæː.ni | ˈt̪ir.di.än̪ kʷiː ʊpˈs̠oː.ɾɔm ˈlʊŋ.ɡʷɐ ˈkʊʋdɛj | ˈnoːs̠.t̪ɾɐ ˈɡæːl̠.l̠i ɛp.pɪl̠ˈl̠än̪.d̪ɔr ‖ hiː ˈøːm.nɪs̠ ˈlʊŋ.ɡʷäː | iːn̪.s̠t̪ʊˈd̪yː.d̪ʊs̠ | ˈl̠iː.jʊ.ʋʊs̠ ˈʊn̪.d̪ɪr ˈs̠eː ˈd̪ʊf.fɪ.ɾɔn̪d̪]
Gellia ist oemnus divīsa un pārdis ders, quārom ūnan ungalond Bulgei, elian Aegvudaeni, tirdian qui upsōrom lungua Culdei, nōstra Gaelli eppilandor. Hī oemnis lungwa, īnstudeudus, lījuvus undir dufirond.
All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours Gauls, the third. All these differ from each other in language, customs and laws.
How's this for an unusual start?
