Wandellic/Reddit
So, I won't write too much unnecessary prose. The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe (demonstratably) that eventually settled in modern Tunisia before blending into the local anthropological landscape. Unlike the Goths, whose language has survived healthy in writ, we have exceptionally little of Vandalic.
Our sources are:
- 'Froja arme', a translation of 'kyrie eleêson'
- 'Vandalerice', a term supposedly used to honour the King of Vandals
- the legendary 'inter eils gothicum scapia matzia ia drincan non audet quisquam dignos educere versus'
- a lot of names attested in Latin and Greek writing and epigraphy
Without writing an entire essay on this, I decided to just sum the majority of the changes I've encountered, or predicted, as:
e o > i u
i u > e o / _{r x xʷ w (kw? gw? ŋKw?)}
ē₁ ē₂ > e: (cf: Geilimer < *gejlimēris < *gailamērijaz)
u i? > [+long] / _# (-u > -uwą > -uw > -ū > -u)
V[+short] > Ø / _#
V > [-long] / _# (fehu gets preserved with -u in Gothic)
ǭ > u / _# (Valilu < *Wal-ilǭ)
ô > ā? / _# (dagila < *dagilā < *dag-ilô)
-ē > -ī? /_#
## (inconclusive; internal genitive plurals are written <-i>
## but that could just as well have been a sufficiently high /e/
## to have confused Latin speakers)
ija ja a u i > i: i Ø u i / C_z#
a > Ø / _C#
uw > u: /_C
ij > i: /_C
w > u̯ / _C (Iuilateus < *Julijaþeus < *Julija-þewaz)
j > i̯ / _C
o: > u: / #C(CC)_ (Blumarith < *blūmā-rīþs < *blōmô-rēdaz)
e: > i: / #C(CC)_ (Geisirith < *gejsē-rīþs < *gaizê-rēdaz) [dubious, re: -ê, as above]
e: o: > e: o: ? (in all other environments?)
## Sometimes, unstressed *ē remains; in names with
## suffixed *-rēdaz at least, as Gunthimer < *Gunþēmērs?
## It is possible that Vandalic had /ī ē ej/ for quite a while,
## and then that the chain shift ej>ē>ī happened. This part needs polish
ai au > ej ou (distinguished from the preserved /e: o:/?)
ê > e: (see below)
ô > o: (distinguished from *au>ou?)
ôi > ai / _# (diphthongal)
b d ɡ ɡʷ > β ð ɣ ɣʷ
β ð ɣ ɣʷ > b d ɡ ɡʷ / #_, C_V
β ð ɣ ɣʷ z > ɸ θ x xʷ s / _#
ww jj > ɡɡʷ ɟɟ / V̌_ (Trigari < triggwaharis < *triwwaharjaz)
ww jj > ww jj / V̄_, VV_ (Trioua? *triuw-??)
Vn > V[+nasal] / _# (dubious: "scapia, matzia ia drincan" seems to allude to this, and we have no other examples)
h > Ø / #_ (dubious, but more than unlikely: "eils" and "Trigari" seem to show that a #h- might have been lost)
## It isn't likely that internal -h- was dropped, and we have little to show for word-internal
## loss of -h-; this likely means that "fehu" was preserved intact
The attested forms can be summed up as:
an-stem masculines:
» dagila < *dagilā < *dag-ilô (NOM.SG)
» Blumarit < *Blūmārīþs? (GEN.PL?)
» Froja < *Frōjā (VOC.SG?)
a-stem masculines:
» Geisericus < *Gejzērīkis (NOM.SG; -ijaz > -is? Possibly long)
» Trigari < *Triggwaharis < *Triwwaharjaz (NOM.SG; -jaz > -is)
» Vandalus < *wandels < *Wandilaz (NOM.SG; hypothetical)
» Vandalirice < *Wandelērīkē < *Wandalê-rīkī (GEN.PL -ê>ē; VOC.SG -ī>ē?)
» eils < *hejls < *hailaz (NOM.SG)
o-stem feminines:
» Trioua < *Triuwa < *Triuwō (NOM.SG?)
u-stem masculines:
» Gibamundus < *gebamunduz (NOM.SG)
i-stem masculines:
» Gunthimer < *Gunþē?mēris < *gunþē?mērijaz (-ē? GEN.PL; or, STEM -i)
ōn-stem feminines:
» Valilu < *Walilu < *Walilǭ (NOM.SG)
There are a few more forms, but these were my main reference.
Masculine a-stems, three categories:
N.S — *-az, *-jaz, *-ijaz > -s, -is; .... *-īs > -is? OR -īs?
V.S — *-Ø, *-i, *-ī > -Ø, -i?; .... -ī? -ē?? //// = A.S??
A.S — *-ą, *-ją, *-iją > -Ø, -i ; .... -ī?
D.S — *-ai, *-jai, *-ijai > -ē, -jē; .... -ijē?
I.S — *-ō, *-jō, *-ijō > -a, -ja; .... -ija??
G.S — *-is, *-jas, *-ijas? > -is, -is; ———— -īs
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-ôz, *-jôz, *-ijôz > -ōs, -jōs; .... *-ijōs > -jōs?
V.P — //// = N.P?
A.P — *-anz,*-janz,*-ijanz > -ans,-jans;.... *-ijans? > -jans?
D.P — *-(ij)amaz > -(j)ams? -(ij)ams?
I.P — *-(ij)amiz > -(j)amis? -(ij)amis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-ę̂, *-ję̂, *-iję̂? > -ē, -jē; .... *-ijē > -jē?
At this point this ended up looking remarkably Gothic to my eyes, but this is primarily because of their similar evolution. Vandalic, from the names (which I won't list out a lot here), seems to not shorten as many suffixes irregularly, and seems like it preserves both -is and -us (from i-stem and u-stem masculines).
Three classes of a-stem neuters:
N/V/A.S — *-ą, *-ją, *-iją > -Ø, -i; .... -i? -ī?
D.S — *-ai, *-jai, *-ijai > -ē, -jē; .... -ijē?
I.S — *-ō, *-jō, *-ijō > -a, -ja; .... -ija?
G.S — *-is, *-jas, *-ijas? > -is, -is; ———— -īs
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-ō, *-jō, *-ijō > -a, -ja; .... -ja? -ija?
D.P — *-(ij)amaz > -(j)ams? -(ij)ams?
I.P — *-(ij)amiz > -(j)amis? -(ij)amis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-ę̂, *-ję̂, *-iję̂? > -ē, -jē; .... *-ijē?
Their parallels in ō-stem feminines:
N.S — *-ō, *-jō, *-ijō > -a, -ja; .... -ija? -ja?
V.S — //// = N.S
A.S — *-ǭ, *-jǭ, *-ijǭ > -u, -ju; .... -iju? -ju?
D.S — *-ôi, *-jôi, *-ijôi > -ai, -jai; .... -ijai? -jai?
I.S — //// = N.S
G.S — *-ōz, *-jōz, *-ijōz? > -ōs, -jōs; .... -ijōs? -jōs?
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-ôz, *-jôz, *-ijôz > -ōs, -jōs; .... -ijōs? -jōs?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-ōz, *-jōz, *-ijōz > -ōs, -jōs; .... -ijōs? -jōs?
D.P — *-(ij)ōmaz > -(j)ōms? -(ij)ōms?
I.P — *-(ij)ōmiz > -(j)ōmis? -(ij)ōmis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-ǫ̂, *-jǫ̂, *-ijǫ̂,? > -ā, -jā; .... -ijā? -jā?
The Proto-Germanic ō-stem feminines, and a-stem masculines and neuters, seem to form a system analogous to Latin 1st and 2nd declensions.
It is at this point that I started relying more heavily on Don Ringe's reconstructions, applying sound changes and then comparing to Gothic. Gothic seems to have left out quite some things, but the Vandalic corpus attested seems to still preserve them well, remarkably.
Now, ī/jō-stem feminines:
N.S — *-ī > -i
V.S — *-ī > -i //// = N.S
A.S — //// = ō-stem feminines
D.S — .
I.S — .
G.S — .
------------------------------------------------
N.P — //// = ō-stem feminines
V.P — .
A.P — .
D.P — .
I.P — .
G.P — .
Fairly easy, and this is because they'd already begun merging in pre-PGmc times.
And i-stem masc/fem:
N.S — *-iz > -is
V.S — *-i > -Ø
A.S — *-į > -Ø
D.S — *-ai? > -ej? -i?
I.S — *-ī > -i
G.S — *-aiz > -ejs
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-īz > -īs
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-inz > -ens
D.P — *-imaz > -ims
I.P — *-imiz > -imis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-iję̂ > -(i)jē?
Analogously, i-stem neuters:
N/V/A.S — *-i
D.S — *-ai? > -ej? -i?
I.S — *-ī > -i
G.S — *-aiz > -ejs
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-jō?? > -ja?
D.P — *-imaz > -ims
I.P — *-imiz > -imis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-iję̂ > -(i)jē?
Further analogously (different stem vowel, same ablauts and suffixes) u-stem masc/fem:
N.S — *-uz > -us
V.S — *-u > -u
A.S — *-ų > -u
D.S — *-awi? > -ou?
I.S — *-ū > -u
G.S — *-auz > -ous
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-iwiz > *-īz > -īs? (remodelled off i-stems; the Gothic evolution
. . . . wouldn't apply since the Vandals
. . . . had no i-syncope in terminal syll.)
OR
N.P — *-iwiz > -iwis??
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-unz > -ons
D.P — *-umaz > -ums
I.P — *-umiz > -umis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-iwę̂ > -(i)wē?
And u-stem neuters:
N/V/A.S — *-u > -u
D.S — *-awi? > -ou?
I.S — *-ū > -u
G.S — *-auz > -ous
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-wō?? > -wa?
D.P — *-umaz > -ums
I.P — *-umiz > -umis? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-iwę̂ > -(i)wē?
The i-stem and u-stem neuter plurals were basically my own (informed) invention, as there are supremely few attested descendant unambiguous forms for these. For reference, the only reconstructed u-stem neuters were *fehu, *speru, *bewwu, *līþu and *medu.
Next, an-stem masculines:
N.S — *-ô > -ā
V.S — ?? > -ā (Frōjā!)
A.S — *-anų > -anu
D.S — *-ini > -ini?
I.S — *-inē? > -ini?
G.S — *-iniz > -inis?
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-aniz > -anis?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-anunz > -anuns??
D.P — *-ammaz > -ams?
I.P — *-ammiz > -ammis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-anę̂ > -anē
And an-stem neuters:
N/V/A.S — *-ô > -ā
D.S — *-ini > -ini?
I.S — *-inē? > -ini?
G.S — *-iniz > -inis?
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-ōnō > -ōna?
D.P — *-ammaz > -ams?
I.P — *-ammiz > -ammis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-anę̂ > -anē
These are, totally irrelevantly, my favourite class.
Their analogous forms, ōn-stem feminines:
N.S — *-ǭ > -u
V.S — //// = N.S
A.S — *-ōnų > -ōnu
D.S — *-ōni > -ōni?
I.S — *-ōnē? > -ōni?
G.S — *-ōniz > -ōnis?
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-ōniz > -ōnis?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-ōnunz > -ōnuns??
D.P — *-ōmmaz > -ōms?
I.P — *-ōmmiz > -ōmmis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-ōnǫ̂ > -ōnā
This class is super interesting because we have an attested ōn-stem Vandalic noun (Walilu) that proves that they had a different nominative from general an-stems, or ō-stems, which Vandalic doesn't share with Gothic, but is a feature common with Old Norse. The rest of the paradigm is extrapolated. Gothic lost a bunch of vowels here, but I don't feel safe postulating the same for Vandalic (seeing as it does preserve some vowels Gothic would clip).
Their rarer counterpart, īn-stem feminines:
N.S — *-į̄ > -i
V.S — //// = N.S
A.S — *-īnų > -īnu
D.S — *-īni > -īni?
I.S — *-īnē? > -īni?
G.S — *-īniz > -īnis?
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-īniz > -īnis?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-īnunz > -īnuns??
D.P — *-īmmaz > -īms?
I.P — *-īmmiz > -īmmis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-īnǫ̂ > -īnā
This category is ridiculously conservative, but I saw no need to do what Gothic did and delete vowels outside of their conditioning environment. For this class, Gothic deletes even the final -u of the accusative, even when it preserves it in faihu, from *fehu (as seen above).
Next, kinship terms in the form of r-stems:
N.S — *-ēr > -ēr?
V.S — *-er > -er?
A.S — *-rų > -ru?
D.S — *-ri > -ri?
I.S — *-rē? > -ri?
G.S — *-urz > -ris? -urs?
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-riz > -ris?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-runz > -runs??
D.P — *-rummaz > -rums?
I.P — *-rummiz > -rummis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-rǫ̂ ~ *-runę̂ > -runē?
Nothing too unexpected. I extended the PGmc zero stem clipping on all oblique cases of the r-stems.
Next, irregular an-stem neuters with zero-grade suffixes, like *uhsô:
N/V/A.S — *-ô > -ā
D.S — *-ini > -ini?
I.S — *-inē? > -ini?
G.S — *-iniz > -inis?
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-nō > -na?
D.P — *-namaz > -nams?
I.P — *-namiz > -namis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-nę̂ > -nē
More difficult to figure out, but generic masc/fem. consonant stems:
N.S — *-z, -s > -s
V.S — *-Ø > -Ø
A.S — *-ų > -u?
D.S — *-i > -i?
I.S — *-ē? > -i?
G.S — *-iz > -is
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-iz > -is?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-unz > -uns??
D.P — *-ummaz > -ums?
I.P — *-ummiz > -ummis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-ę̂ > -ē
The same stems with a Verner stress-conditioned voicing alternation:
N.S — *-z, -s > -s
V.S — *-Ø > -Ø
A.S — *-ų > -u?
D.S — *-i +A > -i?
I.S — *-ē? +A > -i?
G.S — *-iz +A > -is
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *-iz > -is?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *-unz > -uns??
D.P — *-ummaz +A > -ums?
I.P — *-ummiz +A > -ummis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-ę̂ +A > -ē
These two classes are largely parallel to Gothic (which, though, seems to have remodelled the accusative singular off the vocative, to match the paradigm).
And z-stem neuters:
N/V/A.S — *-az > -s (arwaz > arus)
D.S — *-izi > -izi?
I.S — *-izē? > -izi?
G.S — *-iziz > -izis?
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-izō > -iza?
D.P — *-izumaz > -izums?
I.P — *-izumiz > -izumis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-izę̂ > -izē
That one heteroclitic noun (y'all know which water I'm talking about):
N/V/A.S — *-ōr > -ōr? -ā? (Gothic made it an-stem in the singular direct)
D.S — *-ini > -ini?
I.S — *-inē? > -ini?
G.S — *-iniz > -inis?
------------------------------------------------
N/V/A.P — *-nō > -na?
D.P — *-namaz > -nums?
I.P — *-namiz > -numis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *-nę̂ > -nē
That other heteroclitic noun that's truly bizarre and wouldn't fit the pattern above ('fire'):
N/V/A.S — *fōr > fōn (as in Gothic)
D.S — *funi > funini
I.S — *funē? > funizi?
G.S — *funziz > funizis?
------------------------------------------------
—— NO PLURAL ——
I remodelled it in the same way Gothic did.
And an irregular ōn-stem ("cow"), remodelled as a slightly anomalous ō-stem:
N.S — *kūz > kūs
V.S — *kū > kū
A.S — *kwǭ > kūnu
D.S — *kwôi > kūnai
I.S — *kwōē?? > kūnai
G.S — *kwōïz > kūnis
------------------------------------------------
N.P — *kwōïz > kūnōs?
V.P — //// = N.P
A.P — *kwōnz > kūnōs?
D.P — *kwōmaz > kūnōms?
I.P — *kwōmiz > kūnōmis?? //// = D.P?
G.P — *kwōǫ̂ > kūnā
This is basically what I have so far. I'm intending on compiling these together to use in my attempt at a form of functional con-reconstructed Vandalic. Feedbacc appreciated, of course. I might have missed something.