Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
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The Slavic proto-language was subject to a tendency commonly referred to as the “Opening of Syllables”, which is somehow connected to a number of sound changes that all had an opening effect, e.g....Show moreThe Slavic proto-language was subject to a tendency commonly referred to as the “Opening of Syllables”, which is somehow connected to a number of sound changes that all had an opening effect, e.g. nasalization and loss of various coda consonants. The nature of the phenomenon is not quite understood and no language-internal explanations have proven to be successful. This thesis explores the possibility that the Opening of Syllables was due to contact, specifically with the (unknown) language of the Avars, spoken in and around Pannonia during the Migration Period. In order to find out, the relative and absolute chronology of syllable-opening sound changes is examined and mapped onto the spread of the Slavs and the Avars, and the sound changes themselves are compared to possible phonological traits of Avar. Based on this it is argued that contact with Avar was possibly responsible for only two sound changes (monophthongization and the certain developments of consonant clusters), but that this was not the result of a contact-induced tendency toward open syllables. In general, the Opening of Syllables as a whole was not induced by contact with Avar or with any other language.Show less
It was Werner Winter (1965: 192) who first drew our attention to the phenomenon of laryngeal metathesis, that is the idea that a sequence of *-Hu- and *-Hi- apparently underwent metathesis...Show moreIt was Werner Winter (1965: 192) who first drew our attention to the phenomenon of laryngeal metathesis, that is the idea that a sequence of *-Hu- and *-Hi- apparently underwent metathesis interconsonantally, potentially already at the Proto-Indo-European stage. However, the full evidence has yet to receive a full and systematic appraisal, and there is no consensus as to the age or correctness of this rule. In my research, I hope to find an answer to the following questions (1) Was laryngeal metathesis already present in Proto-Indo-European? More specifically, can it be viewed as an automatic (allophonic) realization of such a sequence, or was it already a phonemicized rule in PIE? (2) What exactly were the conditions for such metathesis, i.e. did it occur between all consonants, including resonants and *s? (3) How can we explain apparent exceptions to this metathesis (Lat. futurum, Gr. φῠτόν, Hirt’s law in Balto-Slavic)? A large part of this research depends on the methodology. The first task I will undertake in my thesis is to establish exactly which languages and language families can give us information on the position of a laryngeal in a full-grade root, and how reliable this information is. I will then highlight a number of positive examples of laryngeal metathesis. Finally, I will evaluate this evidence, and attempt to answer the questions posed above.Show less
