Proto Csillan

General information
Proto-Vaiyanu is the first spoken language in the western continent of Nirunei, Andar.

Vowels
The acceptable diphthongs include “ay, ey, oy, iw, ow and aw.” Vowels can also be lengthened, though it is unknown if length affected vowel quality at this point.

Variations
Though not all places of articulation are definite, it is fairly certain that l and s are alveolar, and p, b and f are all labial (not labiodental, which does not appear in any Vaiyanu language except by borrowing from languages outside the Vaiyanu family), w is labiovelar, k and ŋ are velar, and y is palatal. N and t likely had both dental and alveolar allophones.

Phonotactics
Reconstructed words have been organized to follow a specific set of rules deducted from present patterns, given below. * Word-initial l can only appear due to the addition of the negative prefix *l-
 * The majority ofbase roots are disyllabic, with the syllables morphing and with prefixes and/oraffixes added on for morphology. A few roots are monosyllabic.
 * Geminates do notoccur, nor do long vowels in a diphthong. Only one of each diphthong and long vowel can occur per word (if an ending adds a diphthong or long vowel, anyoriginal ones are shortened/lose their glide.)
 * ·Initial constructions include C, Cl, Cw, Cy, m/n/ŋ/l*C**, and [plosive] + f/s followed by any vowel/diphthong.
 * Medial constructions include the same (except the m/n/ŋ/l is no longer syllabic, as it follows a vowel) plus [fricative] + [plosive] + any vowel/diphthong.

** M/n/ŋ/l in this case functions as a syllabic sonorant, *ŋkaɣ thus is two syllables

Nouns
Nouns decline to case and number in three declensional patterns. Each declension can be recognized by the consonant and vowel in its nominative singular ending.

1. -(o/i)(f/p/m)

2. -(e/i)(s/t/n)

3. -(a/o)(ɣ/k/ŋ)

The three declensions are also called labial-grade, dental-grade and velar-grade respectively