Mari: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:46, 2 May 2011

My ad hoc reconstruction of Mari vocalism (note: read literature):

*e *i *o *u *ü *ö = branches agree
- Hill Mari /ä/ ← *e / _{ŋ, r}_
reduced high vowels: *ɪ *ʏ *ʊ = Hill (Western) Mari /ə ə ɤ/, Meadow (Eastern) Mari /i y u/
reduced mid vowels: *ə *ɤ = Hill Mari /ə ɤ/, Meadow Mari /ɤ o/ (no front rounded member?)
- NB: /ə ɤ/ are more accurately [ə̟ ə̠], or perhaps [e̽ o̽].
*a *oo = in Hill Mari /a o/, Meadow Mari /o u/
- /a/ also exists sporadically in Meadow Mari.

The vowel inventories are:

The development *e → *ə appears to be limited to loanwords (so not common inheritance after all?):

*əšte- "to be in time" ← *ešti-; in Permic thought to be a BF loan
*ləštaš "leaf" ← *lešti ← IE
*šəm "7" ← #śejćimi ← IE? NB irregular medial loss (but could be secondary haplology)
*rəwəž "fox" ← *repä ← II

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ** Hill Mari /ä/ ← *e / _{ŋ, r}_
 *reduced high vowels: *ɪ *ʏ *ʊ = Hill (Western) Mari /ə ə ɤ/, Meadow (Eastern) Mari /i y u/
-*reduced mid vowels: *ə *ɤ = Hill Mari /ə ɤ/, Meadow Mari /e o/ (no front rounded member?)
+*reduced mid vowels: *ə *ɤ = Hill Mari /ə ɤ/, Meadow Mari /ɤ o/ (no front rounded member?)
 ** NB: /ə ɤ/ are more accurately [ə̟ ə̠], or perhaps [e̽ o̽].
 * *a *oo = in Hill Mari /a o/, Meadow Mari /o u/
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 * Hi /a e i o u ü ö ä ə ɤ/
 * NW dialects also /ʊ ʏ/
+===Etymology notes===
+The development *e → *ə appears to be limited to loanwords (so not common inheritance after all?):
+* *əšte- "to be in time" ← *ešti-; in Permic thought to be a BF loan
+* *ləštaš "leaf" ← *lešti ← IE
+* *šəm "7" ← #śejćimi ← IE? NB irregular medial loss (but could be secondary haplology)
+* *rəwəž "fox" ← *repä ← II