----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
To: "NOSTRATICA" <mail@...>; "NOSTRATIC-E"
<nostratic@yahoogroups.com>; "NOSTRATIC-L" <Nostratic-L@yahoogroups.com>;
"MOTHER TONGUE" <MTLR@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: LAPIS PHILOSOPHORUM (3)


>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
> To: "NOSTRATICA" <mail@...>; "NOSTRATIC-E"
> <nostratic@yahoogroups.com>; "NOSTRATIC-L" <Nostratic-L@yahoogroups.com>;
> "MOTHER TONGUE" <MTLR@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 8:27 AM
> Subject: Re: LAPIS PHILOSOPHORUM (2)
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
> > To: "NOSTRATIC-E" <nostratic@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 8:08 AM
> > Subject: Fw: LAPIS PHILOSOPHORUM
> >
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
> > > To: "NOSTRATICA" <mail@...>; "NOSTRATIC-L"
> > > <Nostratic-L@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:16 AM
> > > Subject: RE: LAPIS PHILOSOPHORUM
> > >
> > >
> >
> > <...>
> >
> > > > My first premise will be that the phonological inventory of the
> > > > Proto-Language can be determined as a working hypothesis through the
> > > > application of the
> > > >
> > > > -Law of Linguistic Entropy-,
> > > >
> > > > which will state:
> > > >
> > > > ONLY THE _LEAST_ NECESSARY EFFORT TO ACHIEVE EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION
> > > > WILL BE MADE.
> >
> > The first corollary of the Law of Linguistic Entropy is:
> >
> > 1) Maximal contrast facilitates efficient communication with the least
> > necessary effort.
> >
> >
> > The first application of this corollary is:
> >
> > 1) A vocalic system with maximal contrast consists of a vowel pronounced
> > in each of three positions: front, central, and back: *E, *A, *O (at any
> > height).
> >
> > 2) A consonantal system with maximal contrast consist of consonants
> > pronounced in each of six positions: labial, apical, apical flapped,
> > dorsal, laryngal, and pharyngal: *P, *T, *R, *K, *H, *HH.
>
>
> 3) Maximal contrast is also provided by orality and nasality; all
> positions that produce a consonantal nasal received one: *P, *M, *T, *N,
> *R, *K, *Q, *H, *HH.
>
> 4) Maximal contrast is also provided by closure (obstruent) as against
> fricative (approximant): *P, *M, *F, *T, *N, *S, *R, *K, *Q, *X, *H, *?,
> *HH, *¿.

5) Maximal contrast is also provided by affrication: *P, *M, *F, *PF,
*T, *N, *S, *TS, *R, *K, *Q, *X, *KX, *H, *?, *HH, *¿

6) And finally, adding the feature of glottalization (complete glottal
closure) as against aspiration (incomplete glottal closure) allows new
maximal contrasts: *?P, *?M, *?F, *?PF, *PH, *MH, *FH, *PHF, *?T, *?N, *?S,
*?TS, *TH, *NH, *SH, *THS, *?R, *RH, *?K, *?Q, *?X, *?KX, *KH, *QH, *XH,
*KHX, *H, *?, *HH. *¿.

7) With the maximally contrasting vowels, this provides an optimal
phonological inventory of 33 phonemes with the least effort for earliest
language, producing, when combined, 90 monosyllables.

Of course, I am aware that any number of other features _could_ have been
employed for maximal contrast: creaky voice vs. non-creaky, implosive vs.
explosive, etc. But unless reconstruction demands additional proto-phonemes
with non-included features, these 33 phonemes can be reasonably theorized
until data forces us to modify it (including eliminating some above-selected
contrasts).


Patrick

***