Ruki sound law
Encyclopedia
Ruki refers to a sound change in Balto-Slavic, Albanian
, Armenian
, and Indo-Iranian
, wherein an original /s/ phoneme changed into [ʃ] after the consonants /r/, /k/, and the semi-vowels /u̯/, /i̯/, or:
Specifically, the initial stage involves the coronal sibilant [s] retracting to an apical
[s̺] after *i̯, *u̯, *r, or a plain velar consonant
(that is, *k or *g) having developed from earlier *k, *g, *gʰ. In the second stage, [s̺] further retracted to a voiceless postalveolar fricative
[ʃ]; this stage was reached universally. The third stage involves retroflexion (cf. Sanskrit
[ʂ] and Proto-Slavic) and is due to levelling of the sibilant system. Similarly, levelling brought about the fourth and final phase involving the retraction to velar [x] in Slavic and some Middle Indian languages (with parallels in languages like Spanish). This rule was first formulated for the Indo-European languages
by Holger Pedersen
, and it is known sometimes as the Pedersen law.
The name "ruki" comes from the sounds (r, u, k, i) which cause the phonetic change.
. It was later proposed to be valid in some degree for all Satem languages, and exceptionless for Indo-Iranian languages
. In Baltic
and Albanian
, it is more or less limited or affected by other sound laws. Nevertheless, it has to have been universal in these branches of the IE languages, and the lack of Slavic reflexes before consonants is due rather to their merger with the reflexes of other sibilants.
the process is regular before a vowel, but it does not take place before consonants. The final result is the voiceless velar fricative
*x, which is even more retracted than the *š. This velar fricative changed back into *š before a front vowel
or the palatal approximant
*j.
on Proto-Slavic. There are obvious drawbacks in the theory. First, the two sounds must have been very close (r/l), so that both could have triggered the change in Indo-Iranian. Second, there are no real examples of this change working in Slavic, and it is also doubtful that only this change (ruki) and no other such change of sibilants (e.g. s → h) was borrowed into Slavic.
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, and Indo-Iranian
Indo-Iranian languages
The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It consists of three language groups: the Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Nuristani...
, wherein an original /s/ phoneme changed into [ʃ] after the consonants /r/, /k/, and the semi-vowels /u̯/, /i̯/, or:
- s > ʃ / r, u, K, i _
Specifically, the initial stage involves the coronal sibilant [s] retracting to an apical
Apical consonant
An apical consonant is a phone produced by obstructing the air passage with the apex of the tongue . This contrasts with laminal consonants, which are produced by creating an obstruction with the blade of the tongue .This is not a very common distinction, and typically applied only to fricatives...
[s̺] after *i̯, *u̯, *r, or a plain velar consonant
Velar consonant
Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the velum)....
(that is, *k or *g) having developed from earlier *k, *g, *gʰ. In the second stage, [s̺] further retracted to a voiceless postalveolar fricative
Voiceless postalveolar fricative
The voiceless palato-alveolar fricative or voiceless domed postalveolar fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in many spoken languages, including English...
[ʃ]; this stage was reached universally. The third stage involves retroflexion (cf. Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
[ʂ] and Proto-Slavic) and is due to levelling of the sibilant system. Similarly, levelling brought about the fourth and final phase involving the retraction to velar [x] in Slavic and some Middle Indian languages (with parallels in languages like Spanish). This rule was first formulated for the Indo-European languages
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
by Holger Pedersen
Holger Pedersen (linguist)
Holger Pedersen was a Danish linguist who made significant contributions to language science and wrote about 30 authoritative works concerning several languages....
, and it is known sometimes as the Pedersen law.
The name "ruki" comes from the sounds (r, u, k, i) which cause the phonetic change.
Applications to language groups
The rule was originally formulated for SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. It was later proposed to be valid in some degree for all Satem languages, and exceptionless for Indo-Iranian languages
Indo-Iranian languages
The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It consists of three language groups: the Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Nuristani...
. In Baltic
Baltic languages
The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe...
and Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, it is more or less limited or affected by other sound laws. Nevertheless, it has to have been universal in these branches of the IE languages, and the lack of Slavic reflexes before consonants is due rather to their merger with the reflexes of other sibilants.
Exceptions in Slavic languages
In Slavic languagesSlavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
the process is regular before a vowel, but it does not take place before consonants. The final result is the voiceless velar fricative
Voiceless velar fricative
The voiceless velar fricative is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The sound was part of the consonant inventory of Old English and can still be found in some dialects of English, most notably in Scottish English....
*x, which is even more retracted than the *š. This velar fricative changed back into *š before a front vowel
Front vowel
A front vowel is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The defining characteristic of a front vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far in front as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant. Front vowels are sometimes also...
or the palatal approximant
Palatal approximant
The palatal approximant is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is '...
*j.
Exceptions in Indo-Iranian languages
In Indo-Iranian *r and *l merged, and the change worked even after the new sound. This has been cited as evidence by many scholars as an argument for the later influence of Iranian languagesIranian languages
The Iranian languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages which in turn is a subgroup of Indo-European language family. They have been and are spoken by Iranian peoples....
on Proto-Slavic. There are obvious drawbacks in the theory. First, the two sounds must have been very close (r/l), so that both could have triggered the change in Indo-Iranian. Second, there are no real examples of this change working in Slavic, and it is also doubtful that only this change (ruki) and no other such change of sibilants (e.g. s → h) was borrowed into Slavic.
Further reading
- Charles Prescott. "Germanic and the Ruki Dialects"