Lenethailef

Lenethailef is a Qal language spoken in the southwestern coastal regions of Continent E. It emerged as a distinct language around 1100 BP.

History

Old Lenethailef

The Old Lenethailef period lasted between approximately 1100 and 800 BP.

An example of Old Lenethailef poetry can be found in the following poem, which is a translation of the Myǐnh poem When you cross the river.

EXAMPLE

When you cross the river

Mith enechl-athes temen-ëich,
you cross-COND1 river-ACC
When you cross the river,

Mi lunu-c-ëich kus chan suth.
Myinh-GEN bless-NMLZ-ACC never now receive.NEG
No more will you receive the blessings of Myinh.

Fuchech eluth hel-ish;
chicken alas devour-PRESUM
Chickens, alas, will devour you;

susu-c-ëich nef-ish sef-Ø math-Ø.
feel-ing-ACC distant-PRESUM heart-GEN pain-GEN
it will be far from the feeling of my heart’s pain.

Low Middle Lenethailef

The High Middle Lenethailef period lasted between approximately 800 to 600 BP.

Major linguistic changes during this period:

• regularization of nouns/verbs begins
• sound changes:
  • loss of /x/ and voiced allophone [ɣ]
    • ɣ ⇒ Ø (w/ compensatory lengthening)
    • x ⇒ ç / [-back] _
    • ç ⇒ j
  • unrounding of front rounded vowels

High Middle Lenethailef

The High Middle Lenethailef period lasted between approximately 600 to 400 BP.

Major linguistic changes during this period:

• regularization of nouns/verbs continues
• influenced by Justamija Qal, with widespread borrowing
• SOV tendencies
• -(i)ja genitive

Early Modern Lenethailef

The Early Modern Lenethailef period lasted from approximately 400 to 200 BP. During this period, Lenethailef coexisted alongside Kra Nzlor, and the contact between the two gave rise to the creole Selal Sela.

Major linguistic changes during this period:

• extensive regularization of nominal and verbal morphology

Modern Lenethailef

The Modern Lenethailef period begins in approximately 200 BP. During this period, the direct influence of Kra Nzlor has abated, but the Kra Nzlor-lexified creole Selal Sela remains spoken as a basilectal variety alongside Lenethailef.