daughter languages. All of these retained this shared innovation. So this innovation is evidence that the daughters were once a single language, thus they are a subgroup.
In this paper I will explain in detail the eleven sound changes in Surui, Gavião, Cinta Larga, and Zoró. It will then become clearer why it is possible to interpret the relationship between the Mondé
languages as in Figure 2 above.
3. Rules for sound changes 3.1. Vowel Raising: o u
Vowel raising is a very common sound change. In this case, it applies to Cinta Larga. The data below comes from phonetic set B.
Portuguese English Surui
Gavião Cinta Larga
Zoró maduro
ripe ijóp
vog pup
vop ficar em pé stand
enóte adótẽ
endutá mondótəʔ
longo long
ʃaktop ató
tatú tatóʔ
vir come
aór ʔá voloʔ
aʔulá ovoloʔ
banana banana
mokobá bakoá
makuva mbakoptía
tabaco tobacco
maʃoʔ matʃoʔ
maʃu mãitʃokóm
3.2. Spirantization: p v __
Spirantization a stop becoming a fricative is also a very common sound change. In this case, we have pv in word final position in Gavião. It is most clearly seen in the phonemicized data set A, used below.
Portuguese English
Surui Gavião
Cinta Larga Zoró
arvore tree
ihb ihv
iip ip
patoá yoykab
ójkàhv ujkaap
ujkap estrela
star txoykab
gatikúhv jujkááp
zuj kap cerejeira
cherry tree ihb kapkod akàhv akaáp
akap óculos
glasses lakaba
omisibeab adjakáhv
sábéh pajakááp
sabeeap paja kop sabe
feijão beans
mixãgap korakáv
kurakap kurakap
3.3 h Deletion with Compensatory Lengthening: VhV
[long]
Compensatory lengthening is a very common sound change. When a segment is lost in this case an h, a
vowel is lengthened to compensate for that loss. This is a regular sound change, found throughout Cinta
Larga. That is, wherever h is lost, the preceding vowel is lengthened.
The relative chronology of this rule would have it coming after rule 3.7, shown on the following
page. Historically, the rhinoglottophilia sound change came before Cinta Larga’s h deletion with
compensatory lengthening. The data below is from the phonemicized set A.
Portuguese English
Surui Gavião
Cinta Larga Zoró
patoá yoykab
ójkàhv ujkaap
ujkap arvore
tree ihb
ihv iip
ip tatu
armadillo waloy
mazóhj wanzúúj
wazuj dente de cutia
agouti tooth wakĩ ikab
vaki jihj wakĩĩ jêêj
wakîjîj mutum
curassaw wajaõ
vakóhj wakúúj
wakuj arara
macaw kasar
kasáhl kasáál
kasal
3.4 Bilabial Lenition: bm__
In Surui, b weakens to m in word initial position. This is a regular change, occurring throughout Surui. It
would be an ordered sound change, coming after 9. The data is phonemicized. Portuguese
English Surui
Gavião Cinta Larga
Zoró banana
banana mokowa
bákóva mbakubaa
bakuwá catete
pig menbekod
beekor mbebekut
bebekut peixe
fish morib
bolív mbulíp
bulip porco
pig mẽbe kod
bebepoh mbebe kabaa
bebepu queixada
peccary mẽbe
bebe mbebe tere
bebe espingarda
shotgun mokaĩab
-- mbáákamán
--
3.5 Word Final Vowel Lengthening: VV