Phonological History of Somgru

The Phonological History of Somgri describes the phonological changes that took place between Old Sumrë and Somgru. For information of the diachronic history stretching back to Proto-Sumro-Letaeric see The Phonological History of Old Sumrë.

Key to abbreviations

 * OS = Old Sumrë
 * MS = Middle Sumri
 * LMS = Lte Middle Sumri
 * SM = Old Sumgri
 * SG = Somgru
 * → = changes into

Middle Sumri Period
This period covers the changes from Old Sumrë into Middle Sumri up to the 11th Century BR.
 * Loss of productivity in mobile pitch accent: The mobile pitch accent of Old Sumrë which always had a high pitch on the penultimate syllable (with the exception of definite nouns) was no longer productive in Middle Sumri. While inflected words and compounds formed in Old Sumrë carried their pitch patterns in Middle Sumri, new Middle Sumri compounds didn't follow the pattern of placing the high pitch on the penultimate syllable. OS lústas [ɫústas] "fruit" → OS lustásvar [ɫùstásvar] "fruit tree" → MS lustásvar [ɫùstásvar] "fruit tree" compared to MS lústas [ɫústas] "fruit" → MS lústaspi [ɫústaspi] "fruit sack". Notice how the OS compound shifted the high pitch to the penultimate syllable while the MS compound did not. It is from this point on that pitch patterns became fossilised.
 * Vowels are dropped between plosives and /l, n, r, s/: OS âtólen [àːtɔ́lɛn] "to turn, to twist, to spin" → MS âtlen [àːtlɛn] "to wind", OS ansóca [ànsɔ́ka] "milk tooth" → MS ànsca [ànska] "milk tooth"
 * Exceptions to this are:
 * when /l, n, r/ are word final: OS ápal [ápal] "other" → MS ábal [ábal] and not ábl.
 * when before /lC, rC/: OS apáltwo [àpáltwɔ] "to avoid" → MS abáltwo [àbáltwɔ] and not abltwo.
 * when after /Cl, Cn, Cr, Cs/: OS ạglag [áːglag] "trap hunting"  → MS ạglag [áːglag] and not ạglg.
 * /wV/ is dropped after plosives and before /s, r, l/: OS upwólen [ùpwɔ́lɛn] "to point, to gesture, to specify" → MS ùplen [ùplɛn] "to single out"
 * /ɔʊ/ is lost between /n, s/ and /r/: OS atonasówri [atɔnàsɔ́ʊri] "kindness" → MS atnàsri [atnàsri]

One exception to /b/ being lost intervocalicaly is when it was allophonicaly gemminated in OS, this mosly occurs in non-nominative B-nouns. In this case the consonant became ungemminated: OS estụbab [ɛ̀stʌ́bab] "spider" and OS estụbbë [ɛ̀stʌ́bːe] "spiders" → MS estúab [ɛ̀stúab] "spider" and MS estúbi [ɛ̀stúbi] "spiders".
 * Epenthetic /u/ between /m/ and /n/: OS émnen [ɛ́mnɛn] "to be" → MS émunen [ɛ́munɛn]
 * Epenthetic /i/ between /n/ and /m/: OS tínma [tínma] "field" → MS tínima [tínima]
 * The voiced plosives /b/ and /d/ are dropped intervocalicaly: OS múben [múbɛen] "mountain" → MS múen [múɛn], OS wañídë [wàɲíde] "always" → MS wayí [wàjí]. This change had a great effect on S-nouns whose nominative singular forms ended in /b/ but when inflected the /b/ was intervocalic where it was lost in MS:
 * S-noun: OS tércub [tɛ́rkub] "bone" and tercúbas [tɛ̀rkúbas] "bones" → MS tércub [tɛ́rkub] and tercúas [tɛ̀rkúas].
 * Consonants voice intervocalicaly: OS áculc [ákulk] "slush" → MS águlc [águlc], OS asrápi [àsrápi] "apple" → MS asrábi [àsrábi]. This has the effect of causing words ending in voiceless consonants followed by vowels to voice when inflected: OS árbat [árbat] "jacket" and OS arbátë [àrbáte] "jackets" → MS árbat [árbat] "jacket" and MS arbádi [àrbádi] "jackets".
 * /e/ merges with /i/ unconditionaly: OS tër [tér] "sad" → MS tir [tír].
 * /ɲ/ merges with /j/ unconditionaly: OS ñóca [ɲɔ́ka] "forest" → MS yóga [jɔ́ga].
 * /n/ becomes /j/ when after /ɛr/ and before a vowel with a medial stage of /ɲ/: OS érnyr [ɛ́rnʏr] "father" → MS [ɛ́rɲʏr]   → MS éryyr [ɛ́rjʏr].
 * /g/ devoices word intially: OS gíren [gírɛn] "to fight" → MS círen [círɛn]
 * /h/ is lost unconditionally: OS họyi [hóji] "whisper" → MS ọyi [óji]
 * [ç] becomes phonemic: In OS word final /h/ was realised as [ç]. The loss of [h] caused [ç] to become a phoneme in MS: OS cylh /kɔ́lh/ [kœ́lç] "claw" → MS cylh /kœ́lç/.
 * /aːwa/ becomes /a/: OS mâwátar [màːwátar] "buzzard" → MS mádar [mádar]
 * /ʌ/ merges with /u/ unconditionally: OS mýlmen [mʏ́lmɛn] "to hunt" → MS mýlmen [mʏ́lmɛn]
 * The sequence /F1VF1/ becomes /F1/: OS ansísten [ànsístɛn] "to whiten" → MS ànsten [ànstɛn]
 * Gemminated plosives becomes fricatives: pː bː tː dː kː gː → f v θ ð x ɣ
 * Gemminated fricatives debuccalise:

Summary of Middle Sumri sound changes:
V→∅/T_{l, n, r, s}! _{l, n, r, s}#, !_ {l, r}C,!V:

V→∅/{l, n, r, s}_T! C{l, n, r, s}_!V:

aː {œː ɛː} {øː eː} {ʏː i}→ jʌ jɔ jo jʊ

ʌː ɔː oː uː → a ɶ ø y

wV→∅/T_{s, l, r}

ɔʊ→∅/{n,s}_r

∅→u/m_n

∅→i/n_m

b, d→∅/V_V

C[-voice]→C[+voice]/V_V! when gemminated

e→i

ɲ→j

n→j/ɛr_V

g→k/#_

h→∅

aːwa→a

ʌ→u

pː bː tː dː kː gː → f v θ ð x ɣ

sː fː vː→ h

lː rː →hl, hr

Vnː ,mː → Ṽh ,n

pʰ tʰ kʰ → f s x

bʰ dʰ gʰ → v z ɣ

Late Middle Sumri Period
`
 * /j/ is lost word initially: MS yóga [jɔ́ga] "forest" → LMS óga [óga]
 * The sequence /lmK/ becomes /lno/: scálmgi [scálmgi] "young offspring" → LMS scálnoi [scálnoi] "child, boy"
 * /n/ is lost after a vowel and before a consonant causing the vowel to lengthen and nasalise: MS ànsten [ànstɛn] "to whiten" → ą́s [ã́s] → ą [ã́:] "to gleam, to shine"
 * /m/ is lost word initially: MS mádar [mádar] "buzzard" → LMS ádar [ádar]
 * Vowels are dropped after a vowel and before /l/, and after a vowel, /l/ or /r/ and before /f/: MS sialaférc [sialàfɛ́rc] "sacred deer" → LMS silféocr [silfrɛ́ɔkr̩]
 * /r/ becomes /l/ after /i/: MS círen [círɛn] "to fight" → LMS cíl [cíl]
 * The sequence /ɛn/ is lost word finally: MS mýlmen [mʏ́lmɛn] "to hunt" → íml [íml]
 * When a vowel preceeds a voiceless plosive followed by a sonorant or a fricative, the plosive is dropped and the vowel takes a high pitch: MS ànstâ [ànstɛn] "I whiten" → ą́s [ã́s] → ą̄́ [ã́:] to gleam, to shine"
 * Fricatives debuccalise to /h/ after vowels: MS sowísa [sɔ̀ʊísa] "windy" → LMS sowíha [sɔ̀ʊíha]
 * Syllable final /h/ is dropped causing the preceeding vowel to lengthen: MS estúab [ɛ̀stúab] "spider"  → ehtúab [ɛ̀htúab] → LMS ētúab [ɛ̀:túab]
 * The vowels /i/ /ɛ/ /a/ become the diphthongs /iu, ɛɔ, aɒ/ before /k/ /g/ /w/ /x/: MS ạglag [áːglag] "trap hunting" →  LMS ạglaug [áːglaɒg]
 * The vowels /u/ /o/ /{ɔ, ʌ}/ become the diphthongs /ui/ /oe/ /ɔɛ/ before /j/: MS ọyi ó[óji] "whisper" → LMS ọeji [óeji] "secret"
 * Metathesis where {F,R}C# becomes C{F,R}#: MS cylh [kœ́lç] "claw" → LMS cehl [kɛ́çl]
 * The front rounded vowels /ʏ/ /ø/ /œ/ front to /i/ /e/ /ɛ/: MS éryyr [ɛ́rjʏr] "father" → LMS éryir [ɛ́rjir]

Summary of Late Middle Sumri sound changes

j→∅/#_

lmK→→lno

VNC → ṼːC

m→∅/#_

V→∅/{V,l,r}_{V,l,f}

r→l/i_

ɛn→∅/_#

VT{R,F}→V́{R,F}

F→h/V_

Vh→Vːh/_$

i, ɛ, a →iu, ɛɔ, aɒ/_{k, g, w, x}

u, o, {ɔ,ʌ}→ui, oe, ɔɛ→/_j

{F,R}C→C{F,R}/_#

ʏ, ø, œ → i, e, ɛ

Old Sumgri Period

 * /ɔ(ʊ)/ merges with /o/: LMS sowíha [sɔ̀ʊíha] "windy" → SM soíha [sòíha] "loose, unstable"
 * The fricative /ç/ becomes /ɕ/: LMS cehl [kɛ́çl] "claw" → SM hlécso [çlɛ́ɕo]
 * The plosives /g/ and /k/ fricates into /ʝ/ and /ç/: LMS ạglaug [áːglaɒg] "trap hunting" → SM óghlaugh [óʝlaɒʝ],  LMS silféocr [silfrɛ́ɔkr̩] "sacred deer" → SM silféohji [silfɛ́oçji]
 * The approximants /j/ and /w/ fortite into /g/ and /k/: LMS ọeji [óeji] "secret" → SM ọegi [óegi] "lie, deception", LMS ạrwō "rhino" → SM órkō [órko:]
 * Long front vowels become /o/: LMS ạrwos "rhino" → SM órkos [órkos]
 * The syllabic sonorants {r̩, n̩} /l̩/ vocalise into /i/ /o/: LMS ílm [íml] "to hunt" → SM ímlo [ímlo]
 * Word initial /s/ is lost before a consonant: LMS scálnoi [scálnoi] "child, boy" → SM hálnoi [çáloi] "young man, guy, male"
 * The plosive /d/ lenites into /ð/: LMS ádar [ádar] "buzzard" → SM áðar [áðar]
 * The plosive /t/ voices word initially and intervocalically: LMS ētúab [ɛ̀:túab] "spider" → SM odúab [òdúab]
 * /ð/ devoices into /θ/ word finally and around voiceless phonemes and sonorants: LMS rídwo "storm" →  rídko [rídko] → ríðko [ríðko] → SM ríþko [ríθko] "attack"
 * /l/ becomes /i/ word finaly: LMS cil [cíl] "fight" → SM hij [çij]
 * /i/ becomes /ji/ after a consonant except when the consonant is /r/: LMS silféocr [silfrɛ́ɔkr̩] "sacred deer" → silféohi [silfɛ́oçi] → SM silféohji [silfɛ́oçji]
 * /m/ becomes /v/ before /j/: LMS ariúmi [arìúm] "names" → SM ariúvji [ariúvji]

Summary of Old Sumgri sound changes
ɔ(ʊ) → o

ç → ɕ

g, k → ʝ, ç

j, w → g, k

Eː → o

{r̩ n̩} l̩ → i, o

s→∅#_C

d→ð

t→d/#_, V_V

ð→θ/_#, (_)C[-voice](_), (_)R(_)

l→j/_#

i→ji/C_

m→v/_j

ʊ → o

Somgru Period

 * Clockwise vowel shift: /u/ /o/ /a/ /ɛ/ /e/ /i/ become /o/ /a/ /ɛ/ /e/ /i/ /u/: SM ariúvji [ariúvji] "names" → eruóvju [ɛrùóvju] → SG eruóvju [ɛrùóvuː]
 * Loss of word final /a/ and /o/: SM hlécso [çlɛ́ɕo] "claw" → SG hlëcs [çléɕ]
 * /nj/ becomes /ɲ/: SM lomugánji [lomùgánji] "stags" → SG lamogénju [lamògɛ́ɲu]
 * The sequence /CJV/ becomes /CV:/: SM ariúvji [ariúvji] "names" → eruóvju [ɛrùóvju] → SG eruóvju [ɛrùóvuː] (the spelling of  was retained to represent long vowels, unless of course the  follows  as  represents /ɲV/)
 * Long nasal vowels de-nasalise: SM ą [ã́:]"to shine" → SG a ̨[á:]
 * /kj/ becomes /ç/: SM abaltkóþkjij [abaltkóθkjij] lid, blanket, hat → SG ebeltkáþkjuj [ɛbɛ̀ltkáθçu]
 * Loss of word final /j/: SM ábjij  [ábjij] "away" → SG ébju [ɛ́bu:]
 * The cluster /tk/ becomes /t:/: SM abáltko [abáltko] "to hate" → SG ebéltt [ɛbɛ́ltː]


 * Fricatives are lost before sonorants, lengthening previous vowels: SM brìughro [brìuʝro] "flame" →SG brùoghr [brùoːr].
 * This only applies when after a vowel so when word intial or final the fricatives remain as in hlëcs [çléɕ] "claw"


 * Word final fricatives are lost after sonorants, causing the sonorant to lengthen: SM tèrho [tɛ̀rço] "sword.ACC" →   tȅrh [tèrç] →  SG tȅrh [tèrː]

Summary of Somgru sound changes:
u, o, a, ɛ, e, i → o, a, ɛ, e, i, u

a, o →∅/_#

kjV, sjV, tjV, ljV, njV→ çVː, ʃVː, t͡ʃVː, ʎVː, ɲVː

CjV → CVː

Ṽ→: Vː

j→∅/_#

tk →t:

VFR → VːR

RF# → Rː