Abstract
The vowel alternation of the type Tsez absolutive buci, oblique stem
bece- ‘moon’, which is observed frequently in nouns in the Dido languages, can
be reconstructed as a Proto-Dido alternation of rounded vowel (in the absolutive)
and *ɨ (in the oblique stem). A similar phenomenon can be reconstructed
for Avar and the Andian languages, which allows us to push back vowel alternation
to Proto-Avar-Andi-Dido. There are indications that the vowel alternation
reflects an ancient sound law according to which rounded vowels in pretonic
position lose rounding to a following consonant.
bece- ‘moon’, which is observed frequently in nouns in the Dido languages, can
be reconstructed as a Proto-Dido alternation of rounded vowel (in the absolutive)
and *ɨ (in the oblique stem). A similar phenomenon can be reconstructed
for Avar and the Andian languages, which allows us to push back vowel alternation
to Proto-Avar-Andi-Dido. There are indications that the vowel alternation
reflects an ancient sound law according to which rounded vowels in pretonic
position lose rounding to a following consonant.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 199-223 |
| Journal | International Journal of Diachronic Linguistics and Linguistic Reconstruction |
| Volume | 15 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- North-East Caucasian, Dido, Tsez, historical phonology