Mari

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:

• Me /a e i o u ü ö/
• Hi /a e i o u ü ö ä ə ɤ/
• NW dialects also /ʊ ʏ/

Etymology notes

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

• *əšte- "to be in time" ← *eštə-; in Permic may be a BF loan
• *ləštaš "leaf" ← *leštə ← IE
• *šəm "7" ← #śeććəmə ← IE? NB irregular medial loss (but could be secondary haplology)

(more frequent in *e_ä-roots, but note *rəwəž "fox" ← *repä ← II)

Palatalization

• *kɪćke- "to harness" ← *ki/ütkə- (Ms. *kät- ~ H. köt!)
• *šʏć "rust" ← #sïta
• *wɪć "5" ← *wɪt ← #wittə
• *tić "full" ← (??) *tejət ← *täwðətä

but not in:

• *jʏt "night" ← *jEtɜ
• *kit "hand" ← *kätə
• *wʏt "water" ← *wetə
• *tütka- "to spread" ← *tütkə-

Denasalization

Apparently *mp, *nč → *p, *č (despite *nt, *ŋk → *nd, *ŋg):

• *mp:
  • *lop "depression" ← *lëmpɜ
  • *leewə "warm" ← *lämpə
  • *kowə "wave" ← *kompa
  • *tup "back" ~ U tɨbɨr
• *mt → *md:
  • *komdəš "lid" ← *kamtə
  • *kʊmda "wide" ← *kumtə
• *nt → *ð (← Permic?):
  • *oðar "shoot" ← II *andʰas
  • *lʊðə "goose" ← #lunta
  • *šeðäŋ "wheat" ← #šäŋtɜ
• *nt → *nd:
  • *kande- "to carry" ← *kanə-ta-
  • *kində "grain" ~ P *kɨd
  • *pandə "stick" ← *pontə
  • *pʊndaš "bottom" ~ P *pɨdes
  • *šandə "dung" ~ F *sonta
  • *šɪnde- "to stretch" ~ S *sɤntē-
• *nč → *č:
• *nś → *ž:
• *ŋt → *nd:
  • undə "sting" ← *oŋtə
• *ŋk → *ŋg:
  • *oŋgə "hook" ← *oŋkə
  • *moŋgər "body" ← *moŋkɜ
  • *poŋgə "mushroom" ← *pëŋka
  • *šeŋgə "dry wood" ~ F. säŋki?
  • *šeŋgel "behind" ← *śäŋkɜ
  • *šoŋgə "old" ← *šoŋka
  • *šʏŋgä "hill" ← *ćüŋkä

No reflexes: *ëmta-, *omtə, *tumtə-; *jäntə, *kënta, *konta, *küntə, *piNtä-; *jäŋtä-; *jäŋkä, *këŋkar

The distribution of *a vs. *o

These two vowels appear basically in the same contexts with not much respect for etymological origin; regularly from *a and *ë_a, slightly less regularly from *o_ə, sporadically from *o_a and *ë_ə. Let's see if the distribution has any relation to the consonant environment:

	*a	*o
*a-heavy
*p-	default *a *pač "spot" ← #pačɜ "variegated" *pač "tail" ← *pončə *pača "to open" ← *panča- *pačaš "layer" ← #pëča? *pačke- "to shake" ~ K. pɨškɨ- "id." *pandə "stick" ← *pontə *pańəža- "to fry" ? ← *pënə- "to put" *parema- "to recover" ← *para *parmə "gadfly" ← *parəma *pašə- "to grow" ~ P. *puušjɨ- "to sprout" *pat "pot" ← *pata	*o / _[+BACK] *pokte- "to pursue" ~ EU *pʊktɜ- *poNəš "bosom" ← *poŋə *poŋgə "mushroom" ← *pëŋka ← IE
*w-	default *a *wače "shoulder" ~ K. voč "ключица" *wačkalt- "to hit" ← *wačka- *wačkə "tub" ← *wočkə *waðar "udder" ← IE *wakta- "to peel" ← *watka- *wale- "to leave" ← *wëlka- *walɣəðə "light" ← *wëlkəta *wanče- "to step over" ← *wanča- *waštalte- "to exchange" ~ P. *vöštɨ- "id." *waštar "maple" ← *wakštəra *waštareš "opposite" ← *wasta- *waštər "twig" ← *wasta (!) *wat "fishing line" ← *wata (← Gmc) *waźa- "to fall" ← #waśa- *waźe "twig" ← #waśə *waž "branch" ← *waša *waž "root" ← *wanča *-waž "metal" ← #wäśkä *wažəla- "to be ashamed" ← #wV(n)ćV-	(no examples!)
*j-	*jaða- "to ask" ~ P. juual- "id." *jal "foot" ← *jalka *jama- "to get lost" ← *jama- *jaŋəž "bow" ← *joŋsə *jaŋəže- "to grind" ← *jaŋša-	*jož "remaining sno" ~ P. *juuž "id." (*joɣe- "to flow" ← Chuv. jox-)
*o-heavy
∅-	*a / _Ć *anće- "to blink" ~ P *addźɨ- "to see" *aškəl "step" ← *aśkəl *ažnə "early" ~ P *våådź "id."	default *o *oðar "shoot" ← II *andʰas *omə "sleep" ← *aðəma *oŋəlaš "chin" ← #VŋVlV *oŋgə "hook" ← *oŋkə ← IE *opte- "to bark" ← *apta- *opte- "to put up" ← *ëkta- *ošə "white" ← *akš/ška *owə "father-in-law" ← *ëppə *ožə "stallion" ~ P *uuž
unclear
*ć-		*ćolɣəža- "to shimmer" ← #ćɜlkɜ-
*č-	*čakata "thick" ← *čokkə *čaŋe- "to hit" ← #čaŋɜ
*l-	*laðə "notch" ← *latɜ ← B. *landaka "lowland" ~ *lëmtɜ (← IE?) *laksə "ditch" ← #lVkśV *lap(te) "low, flat" ← *lappɜ	*lo "gap" ← *lowə *loɣe- "to push w/ horns" ← *ĺokka- (?) *lokšənća- "to chop" ← *lakśə- *lom "bird cherry" ← *ĺëmə *lom(p)əž "ash" ~ P. *luum "heat", H. laaŋg "flame" *loŋa- "to winnow" ← *loŋə- "to throw away" (?) *lop "valley" ~ *lëmpa "bog, pond"
*m-	*ma "what" *mača "weir" ~ Sk. #maašə "net" *maana- (!) "to say" ← *mana-	*moa- "to find" ← *moja- *mokš "liver" ← *mëksa *molə "other" ← #mu- *moŋgər "body" ← *mOŋka
*n-	*načkə "wet" ← *ńAčkə *nalə "sap" ← *ńula *našmə "gills" ← *ńëkćəm(ə)	*noje- "to tire" ~ SKh nuuj(ɣ)ə- "id." *nolɣə "elm" ~ U. *ńulo "id."
*r-	*ranće- "to destroy" ← #rAnćɜ- *raška "brittle" ← #roškɜ *raž "hole" ~ K. roź, H. reeš	*o in hiatus? *roe- "to hack" ~ Ug *ro/ʊɣ- "to cut"
*š-	chiefly in loans + original CVCCV roots? *šača- "to be born" ← *ć/čačə- *šaj- "behind" ← Ir. *šakta- "to shift" ← *saktə- (?) *šakte- "to play music" ← *sojə-kta- *šalɣ- "to stand" ← *sAlka- *šandə "dung" ← *sonta *šapki- "aspen" ← #šapa *šapə "sour" ← *šappa *šapə "pale" ← *čappɜ *šaptər "currant" ~ P. su/eter "id." *šapš "spool" ← *sApśə *šapšar "pole" ~ K. sɨrs (or same as prev.?) *šara- "to shit" ~ Ug. #sar- *šarə "rake" ~ F. *hara *šarðə "deer" ← *śarta *šarkenćə "nits" ← #śajɜr-kV-	chiefly in original CVCV roots? *šo- "to arrive" ← *saxə- *šoðə "lung" ~ S. *sōvtē "gills" / K. šɤĺ "swimbladder"? *šoe "duck" ← *śoð(ka) *šokš "sleeve" ← *soja-ks(ə) *šolə "thief" ← *sala *šolə "intestine" ← *śalə *šolə "elm" ← *śëlə (?) *šoŋgə "old" ← *šoŋka *šor(ž) "span" ~ Ug. *ɬarəs "id." *šož "barley" ← *čašə
*t-	*ta "this" ← *ta *tara "distant" ← #tara *tatə "tench" ← *totkə	*tola- "to come" ← *tulə- *toŋ/m "kernel" ← *tuNa *tošta- "to dare" ← *toštə- *torle- "to scold" ← *tora-lə- *torəš "width" ← *toraks *toš "back of axe/knife" ← *taškɜ
*k-

Labial coloring

In theory this could be a West Mari innovation from PMa *u, but this makes better phonetic sense as an earlier change *o → *u.

o → ʊ / _m_ *mʊška- "to wash" ← *mośkə- *mʊčə "hill" ~ P. *muuč, ← *močča *lʊmej "midge" ← *ĺomɜ *kʊməš "birch bark" ~ S. *kōlmɤs, ← *kolməs maybe *kʊm "3" ← *kOlmɜ	exceptions etc. *tumə "oak" ← *tåmmə?
o → ʊ / _p_ *pul ~ *pʊl "knee" ← *polwə? *kʊp "mold" ← *koppə *kʊwə "bark" ← *kopa *kʊwəlćə "grouse hen" ← *koppala maybe *ʊrweźə "youngster" ← *orpa-? maybe *lʊp "wet" ← *lOppa maybe *lʊpə "fallen tree" ~ K. *lɤɤp, H. laap, Ms. *luupɤɤ	exceptions etc. *puləš "shoulder" ~ Mo. *pulə "tail" *pü "boy" ← *pojə; umlauted to *ë? (cf. Ugric) *pučə ~ *püčə "reindeer" ← *poča; later IE loan?! *šuwəš "sack" ~ P. *śepɨs (vowel mismatch) *upšə "hat" ~ P. *uźɨ (medial mismatch)
o → ʊ / w_ *wʊče- "to wait" ← *woča- *ʊrɣe- "to sew", wʊrɣəm "cloth" ← *worka- *wʊža "price" ← *wosa-	exceptions etc.

The development of *ð, *ðʲ, *t

*ð- → l- *lepə "spleen" ← *ðäpðä (*läpðä?)	*ðʲ- → l- *leŋəš "bucket" ← *ðʲäŋɜsɜ *lom "bird cherry" ← *ðʲëmə /loɣe-/ "to push" ← *ðʲokka- ? /lümö/ "glue" (which dialect?) ← *ðʲümä	*t- → t- [abundant examples, not included]
*-ð- → ∅ *om "sleep" ← *að(ə)ma *kooe- "to weave" ← *kuða- *lepə "spleen" ← *ðäpðä (*läpðä?) *šooe "duck" ← *śoðka *šüm "hart" ← *šêðäm(ə) *weem "marrow" ← *wiðəm(ə)	-ðʲə → ∅ *šü(j) "coal" ← *śüðʲə (or *śüðə) *u "new" ← *wuðʲə	*-t- → ∅ (*müj "honey" ← *metə; or better ~ Kh. *määɣ)
(no examples of *ð → ð/t!)	*-ðʲa → -ð- *koðe- "to leave" ← *kaðʲa- *šuðe- "to curse" ← *śoðʲa- possibly also: *kʊðaša- "to take off" ← *koðʲɜ- *mooðə "berry" ← ? *meðʲɜ *šoðə "lung" ~ K. šɤĺ (or ~ S. *sōvtē?)	*-ta → -ð- *jaða- "to ask" ← *jata- *lööðə "" ← *rita *nuðə "younger sis-in-law" ← *nato *kuðə "house" ← *kota *laðə "" ← *latu *šʏðəkš "" ← *sitoks (West only, *ð/*ðʲ also poss.) *wiðe- "to lead" ← *wetä- *wüðe- "" ← *wetä- "sow" *piðə- "to bind" ~ H fűz- "id." *šüð-ər "axle" ← *sëtə *šüðə "100" ← IE *waðar "udder" ← IE (independantly of FMo *uTar)
	*-ðʲ- → -t possibly: *kot "time" ← *koð⁽ʲ⁾wa (or *-tw-)	*-tə → -t *kit "hand" ← *kätə *wʏt "water" ← *wetə *jʏt "" ← *jEti *kut "6" ← #kuxti
		*-ta → -t *pat "pot" ← *pata *wat "fishing line" ← *wata rot "brittle" ← *rotV

Exceptions: *kəl "handle" ← *käwðə "rope", probably from Permic (note also irregular *ə)