Qẓe language

Qẓe is a language of the Zākh language family, predominantly spoken by coastal communities of southeast Ausalon. Qẓe, formerly known as Qasami, has gone through a significant evolution from its Proto-Zākh roots, driven by shifts in phonetic and morphological structures.
The language has become notable for a shift from vowel length distinctions to vowel quality distinctions and the reduction of the original Proto-Zākh consonant inventory. This process of simplification has given Qẓe its unique sound and made it more accessible for speakers of neighboring languages.
Qẓe has developed a streamlined and effective system of communication, particularly adapted to the social and environmental conditions of its speakers. Its vocabulary, while retaining much from the ancestral language, has expanded to include terminology specific to the unique culture and geography of the region.
Phonology The phonological system of Qẓe has undergone significant changes, including the neutralization of vowel length distinctions, raising of short /a/ and /u/ in stressed syllables, deletion of final consonants, and simplification of geminate consonants. Fricatives have also undergone voicing, while high vowels /i/ and /u/ have lowered to /e/ and /o/ respectively in unstressed syllables. Additionally, Qẓe has seen the loss of glottal stops, and a shift in the bilabial nasal /m/ to /n/ before non-labial consonants.
Morphology Qẓe's morphological system has been influenced by its shift towards vowel quality distinctions, resulting in a morphological system that heavily relies on vowel alterations. This system, while simplified, provides speakers with a nuanced and expressive means of conveying verbal aspects and moods.
Role in Society Qẓe is integral to the cultural identity of its speakers, preserving their historical lineage while evolving to accommodate modern needs. While not a trade language, it holds significant value as a marker of ethnic and cultural identity in the diverse linguistic landscape of southeastern Ausalon.
Qẓe continues to be a living language, used daily by its speakers and passed down to younger generations. Its journey from Proto-Zākh to its current form showcases the adaptability and resilience of language in the face of change. As a living testament to the cultural history of its speakers, Qẓe is a vibrant thread in the rich linguistic tapestry of Ausalon.

Sound Changes

1. Initial Stress: Stress is consistently placed on the initial syllable of a word.
2. Monophthongization: Diphthongs are simplified to a single vowel, with the quality determined by the original diphthong.
3. Vowel Length Neutralization: The distinction between short and long vowels is lost.
4. Vowel Raising: Short /a/ and /u/ raise to /e/ and /i/ respectively in stressed syllables.
5. Final Consonant Deletion: Consonants at the end of words are deleted.
6. Reduction of Geminates: Geminate (doubled) consonants are simplified to single consonants.
7. Loss of Emphatics: Emphatic consonants lose their emphatic quality and merge with their non-emphatic counterparts.
8. Fricative Voicing: Voiceless fricatives become voiced when flanked by vowels.
9. Vowel Lowering: High vowels /i/ and /u/ lower to /e/ and /o/ respectively in unstressed syllables.
10. Final Vowel Loss: Unstressed vowels at the end of a word are deleted.
11. Lenition of Voiceless Stops: Voiceless stops /p/, /t/, /k/ become fricatives /f/, /θ/, /x/ respectively in intervocalic and word final positions.
12. Nasal Assimilation: Nasals assimilate to the place of articulation of the following consonant.
13. Loss of Glottal Stops: Glottal stops are deleted in all positions.
14. Labial Shift: The bilabial nasal /m/ shifts to /n/ before non-labial consonants.
15. Palatalization: Consonants /d/, /t/, /n/, /l/ become /ʤ/, /ʧ/, /ɲ/, /ʎ/ respectively before /i/ and /e/.

Root Languages

• Proto-Zākh language

Spoken by

• Qẓe people