Gothalian

Gothalian is a Salic language native to Gothaland in western Sossis, modern Ros. It exists in two main dialects: Gothalian or Oecumenian, spoken in Gothaland in western Ros, and Vessian, spoken in Vasmark.  

Phonological Differences

Despite their mutual intelligibility, the Gothalian spoken in Ros and that spoken in the Uleran colonies, later Vastmark, have spent several centuries developing independent of each other, leading to significant phonological differences between the dialects.  

Consonants

Oecumenian Gothalian shows r-vocalisation in final positions, manifesting either as a [ɐ] for /r̩/ or [ɐ̯] for /-Vr/. It has also coalesced /rt/, /rd/, /rl/, /rn/, and /rs/ clusters as retroflex consonants: [ʈ], [ɖ], [ɭ], [ɳ], and [ʂ], which gives Oecumenian Gothalian a remarkable four-way distinction between coronal sibilants ([θ], [ꜱ], [ʃ], [ʂ]), though the degree to which [ʂ] is analysed as a distinct phoneme rather than a realisation of the /rs/ cluster is debatable.   Vessian Gothalian has split the /ɣ/ phoneme, developed from earlier /g/, fortifying it back to /g/ in most cases except where it is [j] before /ɪ/ and /iː/, both of which have since merged with their respective E sounds, though the G-split remains. Oecumenian Gothalian retains /g/ only in non-final 〈гк〉. Oecumenian Gothalian has lenited /k/ before I and E sounds to [х], and word initial /x/ is realised as [h~ɦ] in Vasmark.  

Vowels

Vessian Gothalian has also split several vowel sounds, notably /ø/ becomes [ʉ] in unstressed positions while remaining [ø] in stressed ones. /ɑ/ has raised to [ɔ] in some positions.   The qualities of some of the short vowels have changed in Oecumenian Gothalian, with /o/, /ø/ and /æ/ lowering to [ɔ], [œ], and [ɛ], respectively, merging /æ/ with /ɛ/.   The quality of /aɪ̯/ has diverged in the two dialects, raising to [æɪ̯] in Oecumenian Gothalian, and backing to [ɑɪ̯] in Vessian Gothalian. Other diphthong differences include /oʏ/ becoming [ɔʏ̯] in Oecumenian Gothalian and [əʏ̯] in Vessian Gothalian, and Vessian Gothalian merging some instances of /ɑʊ̯/ into [ɒː] while raising others (in the same instance the short A raises) to [ɔʊ̯].