Re: [tied] Przypadek

----- Original Message -----

From: João Simões Lopes Filho

To: cybalist@egroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 11:34 PM

Subject: Re: [tied] Przypadek

Under what condictions the Slavic L changes to Polish  barred-L ?

 

Joao SL

Rio

 

 

When it isn't (diachronically) palatalised. The old contrast *l (non-palatal, dark) versus *l' (palatalised before a front vowel or glide), which survioves e.g. in Russian, is expressed in Polish as L [= barred l, for simplicity] (pronounced [w]) versus l (no longer palatalised, but clear, just like British English /l/ in lady). Compare:

 

stóL [stuw] < *stol-U 'table'

na stole [stole] < *na stol-e 'on [the] table'

stoły [stowI] < *stol-y [*y = a back/central unrounded vowel < *u:] 'tables'

stolik [stolik] < *stol-ik-U 'little table'

 

Modern vowel qualities no longer condition the contrast, e.g.

 

Leb [wep] 'head, noggin' < *lUb-U (before an etymologically back vowel)

lód [lut] 'ice' < *led-U (before an etymologically front vowel)

 

What's curious about Polish /w/ (pronounced exactly like English [w] except in some marginal dialects which retain a dark [l]) is that it remains non-syllabic even in words like Lba [wba] (genitive of Leb) or mógL 'he had' [mukw]. In the latter word it may be optionally lost, especially in informal styles, but if present, it's devoiced and the word remains monosyllabic.

 

Piotr