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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 39:3 (2022) ► pp.409–448

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Liquid polarity, positional contrast, and diachronic change

Clear and dark /r/ in Latin

ORCiD logo with link | University of Sheffield
 | Cambridge University
Published online: 21 January 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.17032.sen
Abstract
Apparently disparate sound changes in Latin, involving both vowels and consonants but sensitive to /r/, can be explained by reconstructing a positional clear/dark contrast in /r/, motivated by the seldom-mentioned “liquid polarity” effect. Examining these diachronic processes together allows us to see a larger picture, providing evidence for the reconstruction of successive past synchronic states. Latin /r/ mirrored the behaviour of Latin /l/ up to the first century BC: /l/ was dark and /r/ was clear in codas, and /r/ was dark and /l/ was underspecified for tongue body position in onsets. Darkness in /r/ was partly implemented through the selection of r-type: dark onset approximant and clear coda tap. Later, coda /r/ became an approximant like onset /r/, and subsequently both became trills, resulting in the erosion of the positional contrast and the liquid polarity effect.
Résumé
Les différentes modifications phonétiques en latin qui impliquent à la fois voyelles et consonnes, mais qui sont sensibles à /r/, peuvent s’expliquer si on reconstitue un contraste positionnel entre ‘clair’ et ‘sombre’ de /r/, motivé par l’effet de polarité liquide, qu’on évoque rarement. L’examen de l’ensemble de ces processus diachroniques nous permet de prendre du recul ; il nous fournit aussi les éléments pour reconstruire des anciens états synchroniques successifs. Le comportement du /r/ en latin reproduit celui de /l/, mais dans l’autre sens, jusqu’au 1e siècle avant JC : dans les codas, le /l/ était sombre alors que le /r/ était clair, mais dans les attaques, le /r/ était sombre tandis que le /l/ était sous-spécifié dans la position de la masse de la langue. La qualité sombre du /r/ était en partie mise en œuvre par la sélection du type de /r/ : l’attaque sombre était spirante et la coda claire était battue. Plus tard, le /r/ coda devint une approximante, comme le /r/ attaque, et par la suite les deux rhotiques sont devenues vibrantes, comme le rapportent les grammairiens, avec pour résultat l’érosion du contraste positionnel et de l’effet de polarité liquide.
Zusammenfassung
Scheinbar unterschiedliche Lautwandel im Lateinischen, die sowohl Vokale als auch Konsonanten in der Präsenz von /r/ betreffen, können durch die Rekonstruktion eines positionsbedingten hell/dunkel-Kontrasts von /r/ erklärt werden und haben ihre Ursache in dem selten erwähnten ‘liquid polarity effect’. Eine gemeinsame Untersuchung dieser unterschiedlichen diachronischen Prozesse ermöglicht es, größere Zusammenhänge zu erkennen, da sie Belege für die Rekonstruktion von aufeinanderfolgenden früheren synchronen Stadien erkennen lässt. Lateinisch /r/ verhält sich bis zum ersten Jahrhundert v. Chr. spiegelbildlich zu Lateinisch /l/: am Silbenende war /l/ dunkel und /r/ hell, während /r/ im Anlaut dunkel war, /l/ dagegen unbestimmt für die Position des Zungenrückens. Dunkles /r/ wurde teilweise durch die Wahl der Artikulationsart gekennzeichnet: als dunkler Approximant im Anlaut und als heller tap in der Silbenkoda. Später wurde /r/ im Auslaut wie auch /r/ im Anlaut zu einem Approximanten und anschließend, wie von den Grammatikern berichtet, wurden beide /r/-Typen zu Vibranten, was sowohl die Beseitigung des Positionskontrasts als auch den liquid polarity effect zur Folge hatte.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Clear and dark /l/
  • 3.Prehistoric Latin: *s and *ð > /b/ when next to /r/
  • 4.Dark, approximant onset /r/
    • 4.1Rhotacism
    • 4.2Vowel reduction
    • 4.3Vowel lowering in initial syllables
    • 4.4Secondary syllabic *r̩
    • 4.5Metathesis
  • 5.Clear, tap coda /r/
    • 5.1Failure of onset /r/ phenomena
    • 5.2Pre-coronal fronting
    • 5.3Raising of /e/
    • 5.4Raising of *ō
    • 5.5Evidence for a tap
  • 6.Imperial Latin erosion of clear/dark /r/ distinction
    • 6.1Vowel lengthening
    • 6.2Imperial vowel lowering before /r/
    • 6.3Grammarians
  • 7.Liquid polarity and positional contrast
  • 8.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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