Cernelian/Sound changes

Proto-Finnic to Proto-Balto-Slavic parallel (early Proto-Cernelian)

Fricative loss: intervocalic *-b-, *-d-, and *-g- were lost except before front vowels *jalaga → *jálā → *jě̏la → jała "elm" *jabat → *jā → *jě̏ → je "oars" Intervocalic *-b- before front vowels become *-w- *häbäs → *éˀwes → *jève → jewie "withers" Otherwise, *-b-, *-d-, and *-g retain their phonological quality after consonants *lamba → *lámba → *lǫ̏bo → łębo "sheep"

Secondary stress becomes the primary stress, and the old stress lost Proto-Finnic *ármastàdak → Early Proto-Cernelian *armastā́ˀ → Late Proto-Cernelian *ormostà → Modern Cernelian romosta "to love" The secondary stress is expected from non-final odd-numbered syllables The secondary stress pattern still remained after fricative loss (see above for examples)

*h-, *-h, and *-k become early Proto-Cernelian glottalized acute -ˀ (final *-h caused lengthening of the preceding vowel) *habukka → *áuˀka → *ùko → uko "hawk" *hameh → *áˀmē → *òmě → omie "shirt" *raha → *ráˀa → *rȏ → ro "money"

Proto-Finnic front vowels *e, *ö, *ü → *e, *e, *i *räüstäs → *rèistes → *rȉste → rzyście This development also followed by fronting of *o after front vowels to *ö *näko, alternative *näkö → *néke → *nȅče → niecze

Proto-Finnic *c → *s *kecrä → *késre → *čȅre → czerze "wheel"

Proto-Finnic short *o → *a, but *oo → *ō *ilo → *íla → *jьlõ → iłó "joy"

Ruki sound law: -s- becomes -š- after velars, -i-, -r-, and -u- except preceding consonants *ükci → *iˀsi → *iˀši → *jь̀šь → isz "one" *karcina → *káršina → *kȍršьno → krószno "pen of animals"

Increasing stress phonemicization Stress in medial open syllables moved one syllable to the left *ínhimìnen → *iníˀminen from *iniˀmínen → jьnьmьnę̃ → iniemnią "person" When the stress in words with 4 syllable or more retracted to the initial syllable, the stress moved to the last syllable *mágatkàtemek → *mātkateméˀ from *mā́tkatemeˀ → *makotemè → makociemie "let's sleep"

Early Proto-Cernelian to Proto-Slavic parallel

• Tonal developments
  • Glottals are lost except in stressed ones