Mandaic
- Language Family
- Afro-Asiatic
- Subgroup
- Semitic, Aramaic
- Area
- —
Summary
h' and 'ʔ' metathesize with a preceding consonant.
Metathesis is observed in words with two or more liquids.
Type(s) of metathesis
| Type | Status | Optionality | Position | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a. CC | Diachronic | Obligatory | Adjacent | Root-internal | |
| b. CC | Diachronic | Obligatory | Non-adjacent | Root-internal |
Case types and qualities
-
- CC
-
- C1:
- Alveolar fricative
- C1:
- Rhotic
- C2:
- Glottal fricative
- C2:
- Glottal stop
-
- CC
-
- C1:
- Alveolar lateral
- C2:
- Rhotic
Examples
'h' and 'ʔ' metathesize with a preceding consonant.
yarha: > yahra: 'mouth'
tirʔa: > tiʔra: (> tra:) 'door'
cf. eθhambal 'was spoiled' where 'h' is the first consonant of the root.
Metathesis is also reported in words containing two or more liquids.
ʃalwa:ra~ʃarwa:la'trousers' cf. Persian ʃalwa:r
raʃkal ~laʃkarno gloss givencf. Persian lasʃkør
Conditions
No conditions could be found
Motivations
No motivations could be found
Symbols
ʃ = voiceless alveo-palatal fricative
' = stress marker
ø = front rounded mid vowel
Comments
Bibliography
- Macuch, Rudolf. 1965. Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic. Walter de Gruyter & Co.: Berlin.
- Malone, J. 1971. Systematic metathesis in Mandaic. Lg. 47. 394-415.
- Malone, Joseph 1985. Classical mandaic radical metathesis, radical assimilation and the devil’s advocate. General Linguistics 25:92-121.
- Semiloff-Zelasko, Holly. 1973. Glide Metatheses. OSUWPL 14. 66-76.