Middle Quelpartian

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**Middle Quelpartian** is a stage of the Quelpartian language, spoken from approximately 1100 to 1500 AD. During this time, the Mongol invasion of Quelpart and the rise of the Wokou led to heavy Middle Mongol and Min Nan influences in the language. Increased trade with Southeast Asia both facilitated and hindered by the Wokou raids led to the introduction of some Malay terms as well. Some features would become considered a part of the Korean-Quelpart Sprachbund, while others are completely unique innovations.

## Phonology

### Sound Changes

* n → l
	+ This is due to Min Nan influence. In some cases coda /n/ becomes /l/ but usually this is restricted to the onset.
* li → j
* m → b / #\_
* m → p / wV\_#
* ii ei ai → ei ai oi
* {h,s}j → ɕ
* j → Ø
* u a → a ɜ / l\_
* a o → o u / \_{k,ŋ}
* ʌ → jʌ /
	+ {ts,k,g}\_ (which then palatalizes the /ts/, /k/ and /g/)
* ʌ → ɜ /
	+ #\_
	+ \_ŋ
	+ {m,b}\_ (after which the /m/ or /b/ disappears)
* ʌ → a /
	+ l\_
* je ja → ʌ e
* t k → p Ø / lo\_
* ɕ → j / \_{a,ʌ}
* ɕ → tɕ / \_oi
* u → u / ɕ\_#
* o u → ou we / ɕ\_ (else)
* o → ʌ / else
* u → ɯ / else

## Grammar

Surprisingly, the complex morphology of Old Quelpartian got preserved despite Middle Quelpartian being spoken, non-natively and without formal education on it, by peoples of all sorts of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. It is unclear how; some historians theorize this is due to conservative use by native Quelpartians who managed the island proper (whereas the Wokou mainly managed piracy and thus were not on the island as often), who taught the Chinese brought to work on the island the proper grammar or at least transferred the knowledge to them by constant interaction. Others say scholars from the Japanese and later Mongolian periods enforced the language's grammar in order for works in the Grand Library to remain legible. Whatever the reason is, the language actually became *more* complex due to these various linguistic influences.

## Lexicon

### Loanwords from Middle Mongolian

* ᠪᠠᠭ᠋ᠠᠲᠤᠷ *baghatur* "hero" → Middle Quelpartian *ba ga tur*, *ba ha tur* "patriot, veteran" → Modern Quelpartian *bak-tur* "veteran"
* ᠭᠢᠨᠵᠢ *ginj* "chains, fetters" → Middle Quelpartian *ging ji* → Modern Quelpartian *jing-gi* (metathesized)
* ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ *mongghul* "Mongolia" → Middle Quelpartian *mong gul*, *meong geul* → Modern Quelpartian *Meong-Geul*
* ᠮᠣᠷᠢ *mori* "horse" → Middle Quelpartian *mo di* → Modern Quelpartian *mo-di*
* ᠮᠣᠷᠢᠯᠠᠬᠤ *morilokh* (?) "to ride a horse" → Middle Quelpartian *mo di loh* → Modern Quelpartian  *mot-lo*
* ᠣᠷᠳ᠋ᠤ *ordu* "palace, mansion" → Middle Quelpartian *(w)or du* → Modern Quelpartian *er-du*
* ᠣᠷᠤᠰ *orus* "Russia" → Middle Quelpartian *Wo Du Se*, *Yeo Du Se* → Modern Quelpartian *Yeot-Se*
* ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ *qaghan* "khan, royal" → Middle Quelpartian *ka han*, *han* → Modern Quelpartian *al*

#### Tentative

* ᠤᠤᠯᠭᠠᠯᠠᠬᠤ *ughulgalakh* "to pillage, to plunder" → Middle Quelpartian *wu gul ga la*, *wu hul ga la* → Modern Quelpartian *gul-gal*

### Loanwords from Wu

* 本書 *pen-sr* "book" → Middle Quelpartian *beon-si* → Modern Quelpartian *beon-si*
	+ A Quelpartian compound with Wu pronunciation
* 紙頭 *tsr deu* "paper" → Middle Quelpartian *tseu-dea* → Modern Quelpartian *tseu-dea*

### Loanwords from Min Nan

* 覕 *bih* "to hide away" → Middle Quelpartian *bik* "to hide a person on a ship, to traffic, to smuggle" → Modern Quelpartian *bik* "to smuggle or traffic people"
* 查某仔 *cha-bó͘-á* "daughter" → Middle Quelpartian *tsa bua* → Modern Quelpartian *tsa-bua*
* 查某囝 *cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ* "daughter" → Middle Quelpartian *tsao kiaⁿ* → Modern Quelpartian *tsao-kiaⁿ*
* 囝 *kiáⁿ* "son" → Middle Quelpartian *kiaⁿ* → Modern Quelpartian *kiaⁿ*
* 李 *lí* "surname Lee" → Middle Quelpartian *li* → Modern Quelpartian *li*, *Lee* (partially displaced native readings *Jak*, *Ja*)
* 羅斛 *lô-ho̍k* "Kingdom of Lavo" → Middle Quelpartian *lok* "Siam, Thailand" → Modern Quelpartian *lok* (whence *Lok Bak*)
* 跋繳 *poa̍h-kiáu* "to gamble" → Middle Quelpartian *buak kiao* → Modern Quelpartian *buak kiao*
* 媠 *súi* "good-looking" → Middle Quelpartian *sui* → Modern Quelpartian *sui*

### Loanwords from other languages

Placenames loaned from Malay are considered to have been borrowed during Middle Quelpartian as, if they were borrowed during Early Modern Quelpartian, they would have been displaced by European terms.

* Ilokano *balay* "house" → Middle Quelpartian *ba lai* "Luzon" → Modern Quelpartian *Ba Lai*
* Malay *brahmana* "brahmin" → Middle Quelpartian *pra ma na* "India" → Modern Quelpartian *Pram Na*
* Min Dong 諸娘囝 *cṳ̆-nè̤ng-giāng* "daughter" → Middle Quelpartian *tsu nung ngiang*, *tsung ngiang* → Modern Quelpartian *tsung yang*
* Malay *Yunani* "Greece" → Middle Quelpartian *yeu na ni* "Persia, Iran" → Modern Quelpartian *Eu Nanh*, *Nanh Eu* (the latter is the one promoted by the Academy of the Quelpartian Language)