Taba

Proto-Pfeunic is the common ancestor to Pfeunic, one of the largest branches of the Quihum languages.

Diachronic sketch

1. q, qʷ > k, kʷ
2. root voice assimilation: a plain stop (unless following s) is assimilated to a voiced stop within a stem
   • "An additional constraint prohibited roots containing both a voiced aspirated and a voiceless plosive (**tebʰ-), unless the latter occurs in a word-initial cluster after an *s (e.g. *stebʰ- 'to stiffen'). Taken together with the abundance of *DʰeDʰ-type roots, it has been proposed that this distribution results from a limited process of voice assimilation in pre-PIE, where a voiceless stop was assimilated to a voiced aspirate, if another one followed or preceded within a root."
3. a ə i u > e a i u (before laryngeals vocalize)
4. laryngeal reflexes:
   • aʔ, eʔ, iʔ, uʔ (also ah, eh, ih, uh) > ā, ē, ī, ū
   • ax, ex, ix, ux > ē, ē, ī, ū
   • ax̌, ex̌, ix̌, ux̌ > ā, ā, ē, ō
   • axʷ, exʷ, ixʷ, uxʷ > ō, ō, iw, ū
   • ax̌ʷ, ex̌ʷ, ix̌ʷ, ux̌ʷ > ā, ō, ew, ō
5. z, nʼ, l, ʕʼ > r; lʼ, ł > l
6. -ł > -:
7. mC, nC, lC, rC > um, un, ul, ur (word-initially)
8. Zero-grade becomes u-grade
9. -sm-, -sn-, -sl-, -sr- > mm, nn, ll, rr
10. -łm-, -łn- > lm, ll
11. m'-, w', ʕʷʼ > wr-?
12. some z c c' become PPf dentals (d t þ)?
    • PQ sc > PPf st
13. ā > ō
14. Grimm's law!
    • Stress becomes initial; after unstressed vowels, ƛ > t
    • p t ƛ k kʷ (when not after a fricative) > /f θ ɬ x xʷ/
    • ɬ > ɧ
    • sb spʼ > sp
    • tk, dg, tʼkʼ > h, g, k
    • tkʷ, dgʷ, tʼkʷʼ > þw, dw, tw
15. Verner's law! (from PQ accent; when immediately following an unstressed syllable)
16. e > i before nasals, and in unstressed syllables (except before r)

Phonology

Same as PGmc.