Mansi

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Proto-Mansi

Vowels: nominally *i *ü *u *ä *a ±length, also *ëë *o (-- is there really any short *ë?), so coverable as a cubic system distinguishing only [±close], [±front], [±labial] (with *ë treated as [+close]). In practice the inventory would've not been quite that neat as short *ä *ü *u may've been [e ø o], long *i *u [eː oː].

(Transcription notes: now *ee rather than *ii.)

Consonants: *m *n *ń *-ŋ-, *p *t *ć *k, *s *š *-ɣ-, *w *l *ĺ *j, *r

• Not sure if labiovelars existed at this stage
• *š represent both PU *č, and under certain conditions PU *ś.
  • *ś → *š seems to be regular before PU *i *e: *śilmä #śEni *śečä (or *čečä?) *śepä *śe/êkä *śêðäm #śêrV, EU *śêli
  • not in *śe(x)rV → *sir
  • also cases of irregular *ä → *i: *śälä- → *šil- (but: *śäkśi → *siɣəs; assimilation?)
  • II loans: #śasra → #šaatər, *śëta → *šɤɤt, *śorBa → *šaarp (but *śëlka → *sɤɤl)
  • not normally before *ë *ä *ü: *śëxmi *śo/ëðka *śëla- *śäŋki *śäxi *śüðʲi *śülki-. NB late /ü/ in *šiɣ → Tavda /süw/ !?
  • also *śuðʲa → *šaĺ, *śa/ora → *šuur-, *śopa → #šop, #śona → #šon, Ug. *soŋki → *šuum; F. sampi ~ *šupəɣ, H. záp, szőr ~ *#šaapəl, *šäär
  • related? *sexji → *säj (but *sewi- → *tii-)

Dialectal developments

(cf. Honti, Kálmán, Sammallahti '88)

• Tavda (South Mansi)
  • *ëë → ʌː
    • → eː / _[+palatal]
  • *üü, *ü → y (short!)
  • *uu → [uo] (perhaps in part a retention from POU)
  • *ii → [eː] / _r, [i] / _Ct, [iː] elsewhere
  • *ë *u *ä → ʌ o ɛ
  • *ɣ → j / ë_, → k / C_, → w elsewhere
  • *i → ü / _w_
  • *ow → oː / _C (but not *uw!)
  • vowel harmony, thematic verbs
• Core Mansi
  • *ü → ⁽ʷ⁾ä (velars labialized)
  • *ä *ää → ø øæ; separate æ æː remain (from PMs *e *ee?)
  • *ln → nl in "hemp" (but not "tin"?)
  • *aa → [oː] (except Sosva [uo])
  • *ii → [ie] (except North [eː])
  • *ć → ś
  • Konda (aka East Mansi; Upper, Mid, Lo subdialects)
    • *o *a → oa (yes, merged, lengthened and difthongized)
    • *u → o
    • Upper Konda: *ëë → ɑː (elsewhere ɤː)
    • *k → x / _B (some dial.)
    • *š → s (some dial.)
    • *-əɣ → -iː
  • North Mansi (Upper Lozva, Sosva, Sygva)
    • *ëë *ää → ɑː, *ä → ɑ, *a → o
    • *Sɣ → Sː / _V#
    • *k → x / _B
    • *š → s (Sosva)
  • West Mansi (Pelymka, Mid/Lo Lozva, Vagilsk)
    • *öä → oa (??) (except North Vagilsk)
    • *ëë → ɤː
    • *Sɣ → Sː
    • Pelymka: *a → o, ŋ → ŋk / _ś, _l (elsewhere?)