Is it possible?

Question

Is it possible for a vowel shift to occur like the one I've depicted below? These aren't all the phonemes, of course, but I'm developing a conlang where most rimes include a syllabic consonant, /r̩, r̥̩, ɻ̩~ɹ̩, l̩, ɬ̩/, but I want to still include vowels. The original (potential) phonology were the below phonemes and 5 unstressed short vowels that became liquids. It's not a natlang, so realism isn't of utmost importance, but I don't know whether to retcon a plausible history or not.

https://preview.redd.it/gqh3dho282ag1.png?width=753&format=png&auto=webp&s=3bb5f9dd353ddd64de807774be135cf5825ac112

Posted Dec 29, 2025, 3:11 AM UTC

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