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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 43:1 (2026) ► pp.74–104

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Emergence and evolution of free variation in Central Pame prefixes

Sound change vs. paradigmatic structure

ORCiD logo with link | University of Zurich
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with University of Zurich.

Published online: 29 July 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.24033.her
Abstract
Many word forms from different classes in Central Pame (cent2145, Otomanguean) allow two synonymous forms, one containing a prefix with the vowel /a/ and another one with /u/ (e.g. wa-ttsáuʔ~wu-ttsáuʔ ‘(s)he feels’). I conduct historical corpus research and elicitation to throw light on the diachronic origin and contemporary profile of this unusual phenomenon. Evidence suggests that it started as a sound change /a/ > /u/ between bilabial consonants. However, paradigmatic pressures have largely dismantled the original distribution of allomorphy synchronically, generalizing free variation (i.e. overabundance). In addition, other phonological and morphosyntactic cues have emerged for the probabilistic prediction of these allomorphies. The case provides an extraordinary window into the cognitive underpinnings of sound change, allomorphy, and the paradigm in a highly-inflecting and understudied language.
Résumé
La forme de nombreux mots de différentes classes du Pame central (cent2145, famille oto-mangue) est double, une forme contenant un préfixe avec la voyelle /a/ et l’autre avec la voyelle /u/ (par exemple wa-ttsáuʔ~wu-ttsáuʔ ‘il/elle se sent’). Je mène des recherches de corpus historiques et de terrain pour mettre en lumière l’origine diachronique et le profil contemporain de ce phénomène inhabituel. Des preuves indiquent que cela a commencé par une modification phonétique /a/ > /u/ entre consonnes bilabiales. Cependant, des pressions analogiques ont largement éliminé la distribution originale de l’allomorphie de manière synchronique, généralisant la variation libre (connue sous le nom de « surabondance »). De plus, d’autres indices phonologiques et morphosyntaxiques sont apparus pour la prédiction probabiliste de ces allomorphies. Ce cas offre une fenêtre extraordinaire sur les fondements cognitifs de la modification phonétique, de l’allomorphie et du paradigme dans une langue peu étudiée et lourdement fléchie.
Zusammenfassung
Viele Wortformen aus verschiedenen Klassen in Central Pame (cent2145, Otomangueanisch) erlauben zwei synonyme Formen, eine mit einem Präfix mit dem Vokal /a/ und eine andere mit /u/ (z. B. wa-ttsáuʔ~wu-ttsáuʔ ‘er/sie fühlt sich’). Ich führe historische Korpusforschung und Elizitierung durch, um den diachronen Ursprung und das zeitgenössische Profil dieses ungewöhnlichen Phänomens zu beleuchten. Es gibt Hinweise darauf, dass es als Lautwechsel /a/ > /u/ zwischen bilabialen Konsonanten begonnen hat. Paradigmatische Zwänge haben jedoch die ursprüngliche Verteilung der Allomorphie synchron weitgehend aufgelöst und die freie Variation (auch als ‘overabundance’ bekannt) verallgemeinert. Darüber hinaus sind weitere phonologische und morphosyntaktische Hinweise für die probabilistische Vorhersage dieser Allomorphien entstanden. Der Fall bietet einen außergewöhnlichen Einblick in die kognitiven Grundlagen von Lautwandel, Allomorphie und das Paradigma in einer stark flektierenden, wenig erforschten Sprache.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Phonology of Central Pame
  • 3.Morphology of Central Pame and loci of /a/~/u/ free variation
  • 4.Diachronic emergence of the /a/~/u/ variability
  • 5.Synchronic in-depth study of speaker preferences
  • 6.Different types of /a/~/u/ variation
  • 7.Relevance to sound change and actuation
  • 8.Relevance to paradigm structure
  • 9.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Supplementary material
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
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