Proto-Southern Horn

General Information
The proto-language for all language spoken on the continent of Qorbnaclim on the conworld of Qorbna.

Phonology
Written forms in bold

Consonant
¹ [n] can function as a vowel (hence the long "vowel" [nː] and short [n]); it's [ŋ] before velars and [ɲ] before palatals

Vowel
Note that diphthongs count as one full vowel in addition of the pure vowels. Diphthongs: [oɪ̯], [ɪ̯œː], [aːʊ̯], [ʊɪ̯], [ɪ̯ɔː], [ɪ̯ɛː], [eɪ̯], [oʊ̯] Written:    oe    eo     áu     ui    eó     ié     ei    ou

Tone
All long/stressed vowels and syllabic [n] (short and long) must have tone. They can be (with example letter, a): sharp rising, á ([˩˥]); slow rising ā ([˩˨˥]); sharp falling, à ([˥˩]); and slow cresting, â ([˩˨˥˩]). Note that these are the same for n: ń, n̄, ǹ, n̂, and n for [nː˩˥, nː˩˨˥, nː˥˩, nː˩˨˥˩, n].

Stress
Only long vowels and geminate syllabic [n] can be stressed. Stressed vowels can only carry the slow rising and cresting tones. Stress is ultimate or penultimate if the last vowel is lax.

Phonotactics
V̆CCV̂CCV̄CCV̆C Where V̆ = lax vowel, V̂ = lax or stressed vowel, and V̄ = stressed vowel.

Restrictions:
 * Initial V̆ cannot be syllabic [n]
 * Words must start with a vowel
 * If there is a syllabic [n], it can only be surrounded by single consonants
 * Finals can only be: [m, n, j, r, ʁ, ʎ]
 * Consonant clusters cannot begin with a plosive (except [tɬ] and breathy voice) or liquid (except [r])
 * Laterals cannot be in consonant clusters (except [tɬ])
 * Breathy voice plosives can only begin a cluster
 * [j] cannot preceed [e], [iː], [ø] and [ɪ]
 * Liquids must preceed a consonant except finally

Grammar
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––