Re: Con-Palatalization

On Mon, 30 Oct 2000 13:52:11 -0800, jesse stephen bangs

>Anyone with some knowledge of Slavic linguistics who can tell me how
>these developments were handled in those langs would be appreciated,
>and other con-solutions welcomed.
Main options represented in Slavic langs:

1) [r_j] (and [l_j]) preserved - Russian, Bulgarian. It seems that
phonological palatalization throughout the consonant inventory is a
prerequisite.

2) [r] and [rj] merge together - Byelorussian/Belarusian, to mention a
system otherwise preserving phonological palatalization.

3) [r_j] becomes [r_Z]/[r_S] ('shuffling vibrant', sort of vibrating
[Z]/[S]) - Czech.

4) Like (3), with further development to [Z]/[S] (depending on adjacent
consonants) - Polish.

Note also that (spoken) Polish has [l] > [w], [l_j] > [l] (while original
[w] > [v]/[f]).

5) Some Russian dialects have [r_j] > [j].

I wouldn't consider too unnatural a development like [r] vs [r_j] > [R]
(uvular vibrant) vs. [*] (retroflex approximant), which I use in some
of my conlangs that transform their historical palatalization. Without
any proper natlang-based substantiation ;) .


Basilius