Permic

The Permic languages are a branch of Uralic languages spoken in west-central Russia. The family consists of Udmurt and Komi; the Permyak dialect of Komi is sometimes also included as a separate language.

Vowels

A reconstruction of the proto-Permic vowel system:

• Stable vowels: *i *ɯ *u *e *ɤ *a
• Mid round vowels: *ö *o → Udmurt /o o/ ~ Komi /e ɤ/
  • There does not seem to be an *ü → **/u/ ~ **/i/.
• A series of vowels close in Udmurt but mid in Komi: *oo *ɤɤ → U. /u ɯ/, K. /o ɤ/
  • In Komi, initial cases acquire a preceding /v/.
  • Expected *oo becomes /a/ in Komi, when an older (non-surviving) intervocalic *t follos. This is written as *oo^ð.
• A series of vowels open in Udmurt but mid in Komi: *åå *aa → U. /a a/, K. /o ɤ/
• Awaiting explanation
  • a correspondence U /ɯ/ ~ K /u/ - numerous, may be a split from *oo
  • /ɯ/ ~ /i/ (*c´ara)
  • /ɯ/ ~ /e/ (*wäs´ka, *läxmi, *mäc´V) - may be a split from *ɯ
  • /ɯ/ ~ /o/ (*läkti-, *mäjaka)
  • /u/ ~ /ɯ/ (*to, *süli, *käpsa)
  • /u/ ~ /e/ (*satVr)
  • /u/ ~ /ɤ/ (*s´üc´V)
  • /u/ ~ /a/ (*wanSa)
  • /i/ ~ /ɯ/ (*n´ëxli, *künc^i, *jürä)
  • /i/ ~ /e/ (*s´äNki, *läppa) (*ee?)
  • /e/ ~ /ɤ/ (*pära, *säppa, *kärta, *läs´a, *käna, *käc´a)
  • /ɤ/ ~ /o/ (*kAl-)
  • /o/ ~ /a/ (*c^okV-)
  • /a/ ~ /u/ (*voosi)
  • /a/ ~ /e/ (*käliw) (*ää?)
  • /ä/ ~ /o/ (*täji) (does /ä/ even exist in Udmurt??)
  • Note the popularity of Udmurt high vowels