What is it about?
Previous researches have reconstructed a pre-initial *C1- and a nasal pre-initial. A further comparison between Written Tibetan and Proto-Naish shows that *C1- corresponds to m- and ’- only in Written Tibetan; the nasal pre-initial corresponds to all pre-initials but b- in Written Tibetan; *C1- and the nasal pre-initial correspond to pre-initials in Written Tibetan under specific phonological conditions. Both pre-initials and prefixes may correspond to *C1- in Proto-Naish.
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Why is it important?
Naish languages are highly eroded in phonology. However, evidences from language comparison reveal that initial consonantal clusters exist in Proto-Naish and correspond to Written Tibetan. This helps us discover the phonological system of Proto-Naish and the paths of evolution.
Perspectives
More morphemes need to be collected for modern Naish languages to achieve a more complete system of Proto-Naish. A further comparison with Written Burmese and rGyalrong will show us an overall picture of the evolution of Naish languages.
Zihe Li
Peking University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: 原始納西語前冠音的來源與演變, Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics, May 2020, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/2405478x-01202003.
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