Editing Vandalic language (section)

== Phonology ==
The phonological features of Vandalic are similar to those of Gothic.{{r|Wrede|p=7}}

===Vowels===
The following vowel inventory is based on Wrede:{{r|Wrede|pages=91–101}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="2" |[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" |[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!<small>short</small> !! <small>long</small>
!<small>short</small> !! <small>long</small>
!<small>short</small> !! <small>long</small>
|-
!colspan="2" |[[High vowel|High]]
| align="center" |{{IPA|i}}
|align="center" |{{IPA|iː}}
|
|
| align="center" |{{IPA|u}}
| align="center" |{{IPA|uː}}
|-
!colspan="2" |[[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|
|{{IPA|eː}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA|oː}}
|-
!colspan="2" |[[Low vowel|Low]]
|
|
|{{IPA|a}}
|
|
|
|}
* Vandalic {{IPA|/i/}} was sometimes written {{angbr|e}} by Latin authors.{{r|Reichert|p=96}}

The Proto-Germanic long vowel *{{IPA|/e:/}} is often written in Vandalic names as {{angbr|e}} ({{lang|xvn|Gunthimer}}, {{lang|xvn|Geilimer}}), but it is also represented as {{angbr|i}} {{lang|xvn|Geilamir}}, {{lang|xvn|Vitarit}}.{{r|Wrede|p=91}}

The Proto-Germanic short vowel *{{IPA|/e/}} is often written as {{angbr|i}} in Vandalic{{r|Reichert|p=96}} when it was not preceded by *{{IPA|/r, h, w/}}. For example, {{lang|xvn|Sigisteun}} contains -''i'' because ''g'' precedes the vowel, but {{lang|xvn|Beremut}} retains the *e since ''r'' precedes the vowel.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} It could either mean that *{{IPA|/e/}} turned into {{IPA|/i/}} in Vandalic<ref name="Onesti2">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/691311|first=Nicoletta |last=Francovich Onesti |chapter=Tracing the language of the Vandals |title=Goti e Vandali |date=2013 |publisher=Artemide|location=Rome |isbn=9788875751821 |pages=179–195}}</ref> or that the Vandalic short {{IPA|/e/}} was interpreted as {{IPA|/i/}} by non-natives.{{r|Reichert|p=97}}

Similar to Gothic, Vandalic does not seem to have [[Germanic umlaut|i-umlaut]]. One example of items that demonstrate the lack of umlaut are names that contain the form *{{lang|xvn|ari}} (< Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*harjaz}} 'army'): {{lang|xvn|Ariarith}}, {{lang|xvn|Arifridos}}, {{lang|xvn|Guntari}}, {{lang|xvn|Raginari}} vs. Old English {{lang|ang|here}}, the latter of which does show umlaut with the Proto-Germanic *''a'' having shifted to ''e''.<ref name="Onesti2" />

Proto-Germanic *{{IPA|/o:/}} is written {{angbr|u}}; {{lang|xvn|Blumarit}} (compare Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|blōmô}}), {{lang|xvn|Vilimut}}.<ref name="Onesti2" /> This could either mean that *{{IPA|/o:/}} turned into {{IPA|/u/}} in Vandalic<ref name="Onesti2" /> or that it is a misinterpretation of the sound by Latin authors.{{r|Reichert|p=98}} In Gothic documents, *{{IPA|/o:/}} is mostly written {{angbr|o}}, but sometimes also {{angbr|u}}.{{r|Reichert|p=98}}

The Proto-Germanic diphthong *eu tends to come down to Vandalic as ''eu''. Take for example the form {{lang|xvn|teudo}}- ('people'),<ref name="Onesti2" /> as opposed to the Gothic {{lang|got|𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰}} ({{lang|got-Latn|þiuda}}),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Balg |first1=Gerhard Hubert |title=A comparative glossary of the Gothic language with especial reference to English and German |date=1887 |publisher=Max Niemeyer |location=Halle |page=470 |url=https://archive.org/details/comparativegloss00balguoft/page/n3/mode/2up}}</ref> where it has changed to {{IPA|/iu/}}.<ref name="Onesti2" />

The Proto-Germanic diphthong *ai is preserved as {{IPA|/ai/}}, but tends to become {{IPA|/ei/}} later on. For example, the name {{lang|xvn|Gaisericus}} changes to {{lang|xvn|Geiseric}} in later documents.<ref name="Onesti2" />

===Consonants===
The Vandalic consonant inventory according to Wrede.{{r|Wrede|pages=101–109}}
{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|-
!&nbsp;
!colspan=2|[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
!colspan=2|[[Dental consonant|Dental]]
!colspan=2|[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
!colspan=2|[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
!colspan=2|[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Labialized velar consonant|Labiovelar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|colspan=2|{{angbr|m}}
|colspan=2| &nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{angbr|n}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{angbr|ng}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|-
|colspan=2|{{IPA|[[m]]}}
|colspan=2| &nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{IPA|[[n]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{IPA|[[ŋ]]}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Stop consonant|Stop]]
| {{angbr|p}}
| {{angbr|b}}
|colspan=2| &nbsp;
| {{angbr|t}}
| {{angbr|d}}
| {{angbr|c}}
| {{angbr|g}}
| {{angbr|c}}
| {{angbr|g}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|-
| {{IPA|[[p]]}}
| {{IPA|[[b]]}}
|colspan=2| &nbsp;
| {{IPA|[[t]]}}
| {{IPA|[[d]]}}
| {{IPA|[[c]]}}
| {{IPA|[[ɟ]]}}
| {{IPA|[[k]]}}
| {{IPA|[[ɡ]]}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
| {{angbr|f}}
| {{angbr|b}}
| {{angbr|th}}
| {{angbr|d}}
| {{angbr|s}}
| {{angbr|s, z}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| ? {{angbr|h}}
| ? {{angbr|g}}
|&nbsp;
| ? {{angbr|h}}
|-
| {{IPA|[[ɸ]]}}
| {{IPA|[[β]]}}
| {{IPA|[[θ]]}}
| {{IPA|[[ð]]}}
| {{IPA|[[Voiceless alveolar sibilant|s]]}}
| {{IPA|[[Voiced alveolar sibilant|z]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| {{IPA|[[Voiceless velar fricative|x]]}}
| {{IPA|[[Voiced velar fricative|ɣ]]}}
|&nbsp;
| {{IPA|[[h]]}}
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{angbr|l}}
|colspan=2|{{angbr|i, j}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| {{angbr|w, v}}
|
|-
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{IPA|[[l]]}}
|colspan=2|{{IPA|[[j]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
| {{IPA|[[w]]}}
|
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{angbr|r}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|-
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{IPA|[[Voiced dental, alveolar and postalveolar trills|r]]}}
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|colspan=2|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|}
* It is unclear how {{angbr|h}} was originally pronounced.{{r|Wrede|pages=107–108}}{{r|Reichert|p=101}}
* It is likely that [{{IPA|[[ɣ]]}}] occurred in Vandalic, but there is not enough evidence for the sound.{{r|Wrede|p=107}}

The Proto-Germanic *{{IPA|/z/}} is also preserved in the language as a [[sibilant]] (always found written {{angbr|s}} or as part of {{angbr|x}}), as opposed to having undergone [[rhotacism]] as it has in [[North Germanic|North]] or [[West Germanic]].<ref name="Onesti1">{{cite book |last1=Francovich Onesti |first1=Nicoletta |editor1-last=Hattler |editor1-first=Claus |editor2-last=Erbelding |editor2-first=Susanne |editor3-last=Wenzel |editor3-first=Astrid |title=Das Königreich der Vandalen: Erben des Imperiums in Nordafrika; Große Landesausstellung Baden-Württemberg 2009 im Badischen Landesmuseum Schloss Karlsruhe, 24. Oktober 2009 bis 21. Februar 2010 |date=2009 |publisher=von Zabern |location=Mainz |isbn=978-3805340830 |language=de |chapter=Zeugnisse der vandalischen Sprache |pages=228–233 |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/1516556}}</ref> For example, compare the Vandalic form {{lang|xvn|geis}} (as in {{lang|xvn|Geiseric}}) 'spear' to Old English {{lang|ang|gār}}.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

The word-initial {{IPA|/h/}} inherited from Proto-Germanic does not consistently appear in Vandalic names recorded by Greek or Latin authors (e.g., the element {{lang|xvn|ari}} in {{lang|xvn|Arifridos}} and {{lang|xvn|Guntari}}, from Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*harja-}} 'army'). Sometimes the same name appears with and without {{angbr|h}}, depending on the author. However, royal names on Vandal coins use a conservative official spelling, with the {{angbr|h}} always being written.<ref name="Onesti2" /> This could point to either a loss of the sound represented by {{angbr|h}}<ref name="Onesti2" /> or errors introduced by authors unfamiliar with the sound.{{r|Wrede|p=107}}{{r|Reichert|p=100}}

The Proto-Germanic fricatives *{{IPA|/þ/}} and *{{IPA|/ð/}} often turned into {{IPA|/t/}} or {{IPA|/d/}}, but there are also some names in which they were retained or otherwise represented distinctly: {{lang|xvn|Thrasamundus}}, {{lang|xvn|Guntha}}.<ref name="Onesti2" />

Initial {{IPA|/w/}} is sometimes written as {{angbr|gu}}.{{r|Reichert|p=104}}<ref name="Onesti2" /> This could be an issue of Latin spelling{{r|Reichert|p=104}} or a point to the development of {{IPA|/gw/}}. Examples are {{lang|xvn|Guiliaruna}}, < Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*wilja-}} and {{lang|xvn|Guitifrida}}, < {{lang|gem-x-proto|*wīti-}}.<ref name="Onesti2" />

The Proto-Germanic cluster *{{IPA|/-ww-/}} can be found strengthened to {{IPA|/-g-/}}.<ref name="Onesti2" />

The Proto-Germanic cluster *{{IPA|/-tj-/}} can become {{IPA|[tsj]}}, as in {{lang|xvn|matzia}} from Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*matjaną}}.<ref name="Onesti2" />