comparison.ALTAIC.8_modifications.htm

TABLE OF MODIFICATIONS

OF

ALTAIC

VOWELS AND CONSONANTS

IN COMBINATION





by Patrick C. Ryan

7/21/97

ALTAIC

Altaic was derived from the main branch of the Proto-Language after all vowels had been leveled to /a/, a low central vowel. As a consequence, all vowels other than "a" in Altaic are derived from:



1) diphthongs (/ai/ {from /*ay/} and /au/ {from /*aw/}), which have been resolved into e, i, o, or u;



2) rounding of vowels in previous syllables, caused by consonantal /w/; or



3) fronting of vowels in previous syllables, caused by consonantal /j/;



4) closing of vowels, caused by the glottal stop /?/ or aspiration (CH; /h/ or /hh/);



5) lengthening of vowels, caused by the glottal stop /?/ or aspiration (CH; /h/ or /hh/);



6) rounded front vowels (/ö/ and /ü/), /e/, /o/ and closed varieties of /e/ (E) and /a/ (ï) are not original but a result of these operations of vocalic harmony and closure brought on by these processes. The system strongly implies that there should be a closed variety of /o (*O) but this has not been reconstructed yet by Altaicists.





This essay is an initial attempt to understand and document these phenomena; and will doubtless be improved when Altaic scholars participate in the inquiry.







Rules





1) u/u:/w(V) in any but an initial syllable, is unrounded in its current syllable but rounds earlier syllables (as o or u, depending on the stress-accent); an initial syllable is rounded:





a) "Cawa

"CawaCa becomes Co(C{a}) (8, 18, 60, 87, 168)

wa-Ca(Ca) becomes oC(aC) (136, 137, 147, 148)

"CaCaw becomes *"CaCo becomes CoC (153)

Ca"Caw becomes *Ca"Co becomes CoCa (60)

"Ca:wa: becomes Co: (17, 130)

Ca?awy becomes Co:y (154)

(0)aCa:u becomes oCa: (29)

CaNHO becomes Col (46)





1)) rounded syllables can be fronted by following -y- (e/ü) or preceding y- if initial:

CoCe becomes CöC (187)

Co:yC becomes Cö:C (66)

CoCa"way becomes *CoC"we becomes CöCü (117)

CoCaya"u becomes *Co"Cuy becomes CöCü (76)

oCe becomes öC (142)

CoCe: becomes CöCe: (116)

wayC becomes öC (149)

yauCa becomes öC (146)

yauCay becomes üCi (180)

Ca:Ca:u:Cay becomes *CöCeCi becomes CöCeC (196)

CaCa:u:i becomes CöC (144)





2)) or, rarely, the syllable with -y- can be inserted:

o-Ca:y becomes oyïC (139)





b) Ca"wa

Ca"wa(-Ca) becomes Cu(C{a}) (58, 59, 114, 115, 123, 124, 132, 159)

Ca:"wa: becomes Cu (133)

CaCa:u: becomes CuCa (193)

CaCa?u becomes Cu:C (175)

Cala:u: becomes Cul (80, 91)





1)) rounded syllables can be fronted by following -y- (e/ü):

Cau"Cïy becomes Cü:C(e) (61)

Cau"Cay becomes Cür (62)

CauCayC becomes CüCi (93)

CaCa:yu becomes CüCi (194)





2)) ï is not rounded;

CaCa?a"wa becomes *CaCï"u becomes CuCï (92)





3)) occasionally, stops are aspirated during the process

"C[H]awa becomes *Cwa becomes Cha (123, 124, 125, 127)





c) sometimes subsequent syllables are assimilated by rounding:

yaHHAwCay becomes *üCi becomes üCü (181)





d) occasionally, it simply seems to lengthen the vowel:

COw becomes Co: (4, 71)

-FA-R[H]O becomes u:L (99)





e) rarely, rounding will pass by a close vowel to round the previous vowel but does not lose its own rounding:

CaCayau becomes oyïCu (141)





2) i/i:/y in any but an initial syllable, fronts the vowel in its current syllable; as e, it fronts earlier syllables; as i, it does not usually front earlier syllables:





a) "Caya

"Caya(Ca) becomes Ce(C) (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 59, 63, 84, 98, 109, 121, 194)

Ca"Cay becomes CeCe: (55)

Ca"Ca:y becomes CeC(e) (22, 49)

Ca:"Cay becomes Ce"Ce (120)

"Ca:Cay becomes CeC (84, 122)

Ca:Ca"Cay becomes CeCCe (121)

CaCeC becomes CeCeC (199)

Ca"Ca:Cay becomes Ce"Ce:C (156)

CaCa"way becomes CöCe (90)

CaCa"wa:ya becomes Ce"Cü: (134)

Ca:Ca"wayC becomes CeCüC (129)

Ca:CaCa"way becomes CeCCü (128)

CaCawe becomes CüC (118)

Ca:Co"ya becomes Cü:Ci (127)

Ca:"Co:y becomes CüCe (192)

"Ca:Ca:wa:y becomes Cö:C (195)

Co"Caya becomes CöCe (68)

"Co:Cay becomes *"Co:Ce becomes Cö:C (17)

Co:"Cay becomes Cö:"Ce (70)

Cu"Caya becomes Cü"Ce (59, 155)

"Caya? becomes Ce: (86)

CoCeCa becomes CöCC (170)

Cue becomes Cü (6)

o"Cay becomes öCe (145)

CayuC becomes CöC (45)

(0)a:yC becomes e:C (12)

ChaC[H]ay becomes CiCe (176)





b) Ca"ya

Ca"ya(-Ca) becomes Ci(C) (17, 25, 26)

CaCa"ya becomes *CaC"ya becomes CiC (25)

"CaCaya becomes "CaCi (7, 9, 11, 84, 109)

a:y becomes i: (14)

K[?]E-$E-CCa becomes jiCCa (98)

(0)aCa"ya becomes Ci (10)





c) occasionally, y simply seems to lengthen the vowel:

CaCya becomes CaCa: (20, 21)





d) occasionally, y simply seems to close the vowel:

Ca$O becomes Cayï (31)

Ca"$E becomes Cayï (35)





e) occasionally, the previous syllable will be fronted AND lengthened:

CaCi: becomes Ci:Ci (42) [exception 49]

CiCi becomes Ci:Ci (53)





f) the sequence $E-FA seems to front and close the previous vowel with lengthening due to the disappearance of the rounding element:

jayu becomes je: (15)





3) a glottal stop closes or lengthens the vowel:





a) CLOSES





1)) (a becomes ï)

Ca?a(Ca) becomes Cï(Ca) (43, 158, 161, 162, 197)





a))) very exceptionally, it seems to close AND front the vowel:

Ca?ACa becomes CeC (174) (for CïC???)





2)) (e becomes E )

?A-Cay becomes ECi (10) {exception (1)}





3)) the closed vowel may be transferred to a previous syllable:

"CaCa? becomes CïC (177)





b) LENGTHENS

Ca? becomes Ca: (69, 88)

?A-$E(C) becomes a:yC (12)

CaCa?u becomes Cu:C (175)





c) CLOSES and LENGTHENS

?a-Cay becomes ï:C (94)

K[?]E-$E becomes jï: (97)





4) aspiration (CH) and H/HH close or lengthen the vowel; but

HHa-CHa-CHa becomes CaCaC (19) {no closure or lengthening};





a) CLOSES

CHa becomes Cï (2, 19, 30, 131)





b) LENGTHENS (sporadically)

Ca-CHa becomes CaCa: (82, 85)

CaCHay becomes CaCa:y (22)

CaCHa$O becomes CaCi: (42, 49)

CHay becomes Ci: (159) but CHay becomes Ci (25)

CaHA becomes Ca: (32, 135)

HHE becomes a: (14) {exception (3)}

HHE-$E becomes *a:y becomes e: becomes E: (89) {and CLOSES}

CaHH becomes Ca: (17)

HHAu:Cau: becomes u:Cu (183)

$A-HHEC becomes ï:C (95)





1)) occasionally, stops are aspirated during the process

"CHaHa becomes Cha: (105)





2)) occasionally, length and aspiration migrate to the stress-accent:

Ca"CaCa: becomes Ca"Ca:C (32)

"CïCa: becomes Cï:C (56)

"CaCa:u becomes Ca:Cu (81)

"CaCa: becomes Ca:C (88)

"CaCa:Ca becomes Ca:CCa (85)

CaHA"Ca becomes Ca"CHa (40)





5) REVERSE ASSIMILATION

CeCu: becomes CeCü (5, 52)

CiCu becomes CiCü (25)

Ci:Cu becomes Ci:Cü (159)

CECaC becomes CECeC (48)

CayCHa becomes *CiCï becomes CïCï (157)

CACH becomes CïC (50)

CECHA becomes CE:C (47)

CECHAC becomes CECaC (48)





6) VOICING ASSIMILATION

Cabta becomes Capta (107)

CaRpa becomes CaRba (108)





7) PALATALIZED CONSONANTS

Under certain conditions of stress, CA/O+$ are treated as CE:

K[?]A-$E(C) becomes ja:C (15)

N[H]A-$E becomes nyï (106)





8) MISCELLANEOUS

Roy becomes ray (12)

Raw becomes raw (90)

CaRa:u: becomes Cur (79)

"CaRaCay becomes CerCi (110)

-P[?]A-FA becomes P[?]Fu (25)

QO-FA becomes (a)gu (33)

-K[?]O-FA becomes c(a) (24, 78)

NE-$E becomes nya (21)

CaCaT[?]A-SO becomes *CaCadas becomes *CaCats becomes CaCas (36)

XA-$E-FA- becomes IE k[^]ew-; PA ku- (126)

-NA-K[?]XO- becomes -qk- (128)

aba-ga becomes aba-ká (1) (voicing dissimilation?)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

the latest revision of this document can be found at

HTTP://WWW.GEOCITIES.COM/Athens/Forum/2803/comparison.ALTAIC.8_modifications.htm

Patrick C. Ryan * 9115 West 34^th Street - Little Rock, AR 72204-4441 * (501)227-9947

PROTO-LANGUAGE@WorldNet.att.net