Middle Hick

    Overview

    Middle Hick (300 PF - 105 AI) represents a period of increased maritime trade and first contact with Iutlandish speakers. While maintaining the core phonological system of Early Hick, this period saw the integration of borrowed maritime terminology.

    Phonological System

    Core Rules Maintained

    • (C)(C)V(C)(C) syllable structure
    • Initial stress
    • Rising sonority in onsets
    • Falling sonority in codas
    • Permitted two-vowel sequences: /ai/, /ei/, /ae/

    Borrowing Repair Strategies

    Consonant Adaptation

    1. Final Consonants:

      • Illegal finals → /l/ or /r/
      • Old Iutlandish *skip → skel [skel] "ship"
      • Old Iutlandish *haf → hafel [ha.fel] "ocean"

    2. Consonant Clusters:

      • Illegal onset clusters → simplified
      • Illegal coda clusters → split with epenthetic vowel
      • Old Iutlandish *strand → serand [se.rand] "beach"

    3. Special Cases:

      • /w/ permitted in borrowed terms only
      • Old Iutlandish *ward → ward [ward] "path"
      • Old Iutlandish *wood → wud [wud] "forest"

    Vowel Adaptation

    1. Non-native vowels mapped to closest Hick vowel:

      • /ø/ → /e/
      • /y/ → /i/
      • Old Iutlandish *bøk → bek [bek] "beech"

    2. Stress Adaptation:

      • Shifted to initial syllable per Hick pattern
      • Added vowel length if needed for stress

    Lexicon

    Maritime Borrowings

    Nautical Terms

    skel [skel]
    "ship" (< OI *skip)
    ward [ward]
    "path, direction" (< OI *ward)
    wud [wud]
    "forest, timber" (< OI *wood)
    hafel [ha.fel]
    "ocean" (< OI *haf)
    serand [se.rand]
    "beach, strand" (< OI *strand)
    bek [bek]
    "beech wood" (< OI *bøk)
    stel [stel]
    "stern" (< OI *stæfn)
    /æ/ → /e/, cluster simplified
    arem [a.rem]
    "arm, oar" (< OI *arm)
    Epenthetic vowel added to break initial cluster
    kener [ke.ner]
    "skilled sailor" (< OI *kœnnær)
    /œ/ → /e/, /æ/ → /e/

    Trade Terms

    keper [ke.per]
    "merchant" (< OI *køpær)
    /ø/ → /e/, /æ/ → /e/
    siler [si.ler]
    "silver" (< OI *silfr)
    Cluster simplified, epenthetic vowel added
    tel [tel]
    "count, tally" (< OI *tal)
    Vowel raised to match Hick inventory
    ### Landscape Terms
    hel [hel]
    "hill, slope" (< OI *hæll)
    Geminate simplified
    mel [mel]
    "sand, gravel" (< OI *mel)
    Direct borrowing (fit Hick phonology)
    mur [mur]
    "wall, barrier" (< OI *mur)
    Direct borrowing (fit Hick phonology)

    Additional Compounds

    stelward [stel.ward]
    "stern-path" (wake of a ship)
    helward [hel.ward]
    "hill-path" (mountain trail)
    murwud [mur.wud]
    "wall-forest" (defensive tree line)
    melskel [mel.skel]
    "sand-ship" (beached vessel)

    Compound Integration

    Borrowed terms could form compounds following Hick rules:

    skelward [skel.ward]
    "shipping lane" (ship-path)
    wudward [wud.ward]
    "forest path"
    bekwud [bek.wud]
    "beech forest"
    hafelskel [ha.fel.skel]
    "ocean-going ship"

    Metal-Working Terms

    siler [si.ler]
    "silver" (< OI *silfr)
    Cluster simplified, epenthetic vowel added
    iren [i.ren]
    "iron" (< OI *isarn)
    Cluster simplified, final /n/ preserved
    stal [stal]
    "steel" (< OI *stál)
    Long vowel shortened to fit Hick pattern
    smed [smed]
    "smith" (< OI *smiðr)
    Dental fricative → stop

    Compound Metal Terms

    irensmed [i.ren.smed]
    "ironsmith"
    silersmed [si.ler.smed]
    "silversmith"
    stalskel [stal.skel]
    "steel-ship" (iron-reinforced vessel)

    Northeastern Place Names

    Coastal Settlements

    Skipvik [skip.vik]
    "ship bay" (< Iut. *skip-vik)
    Modern Seneran: Skipvick
    Selholm [sel.holm]
    "seal island" (< Iut. *sel-holm)
    Modern Seneran: Selholm
    Hvalbek [hval.bek]
    "whale stream" (< Iut. *hval-bekk)
    Modern Seneran: Whalbeck

    Inland Features

    Storskog [stor.skog]
    "great forest" (< Iut. *stor-skog)
    Modern Seneran: Storskey
    Langdal [laŋ.dal]
    "long valley" (< Iut. *lang-dal)
    Unchanged (fits native phonology)
    Hegfell [heg.fel]
    "high mountain" (< OI *høg-fell)
    /ø/ → /e/

    Possessive Markers

    Inherited Early Hick Suffix

    -ul [ul]
    Possessive suffix ("belonging to, of")
    Still productive but becoming restricted to formal/sacred contexts
    Example: torul "of the peak"

    Borrowed Iutlandish Preposition

    af [af]
    "of" (< OI *af "of, from")
    Becomes primary possessive marker in common speech
    Position: always precedes possessed noun

    Examples:

    • af smed [af.smed] "of the smith"
    • af mal [af.mal] "of the pool"
    • af tor [af.tor] "of the peak"

    Compound Examples:

    • af smedok [af.sme.dok] "of the smith"
    • af malok [af.ma.lok] "of the pool-keeper"
    • af skelward [af.skel.ward] "of the ship-path"

    Usage Patterns

    • Sacred/formal contexts retain -ul suffix
    • Common speech adopts af preposition
    • Some fossilized forms preserve both: af torul "of the peak's"
    • Later developments show af becoming affixed to following word

    Agentive Marking

    Early Period (300-200 PF)

    • Inherited -ok suffix remains primary agentive marker
    • Used for both occupational and active agents:
      • materok "boatman/vessel-handler"
      • wardok "guide/one who directs"
      • threnok "watcher/one who watches"

    Late Period (200 PF-105 AI)

    • Iutlandish contact introduces -er in maritime/trade terms:
      • kener "skilled sailor" (< OI *kœnnær)
      • keper "merchant" (< OI *køpær)
      • siler "silverworker" (< OI *silfr + -er)
    • -ok remains productive in native formations
    • Some variation between suffixes begins:
      • skelok/skeler "shipwright"
      • smedok/smeder "smith"