Nenets languages

Tundra Nenets has 16 moods, most of which reflect different degrees of certainty in what in English might be called indicative statements or different degrees of force in what in English might be called imperative commands. An overarching feature of the Nenets languages is the introduction of systematic palatalization of almost all consonants. This originates from contrasts between different vowel qualities in the Proto-Samoyedic language. • *Cä, *Ca → *Cʲa, *Ca • *Ce, *Cë → *Cʲe, *Ce • *Ci, *Cï → *Cʲi, *Ci • *Cö, *Co → *Cʲo, *Co • *Cü, *Cu → *Cʲu, *Cu The velar consonants *k and *ŋ were additionally shifted to *sʲ and *nʲ when palatalized. Similar changes have also occurred in the other Samoyedic languages spoken in the tundra zone: Enets, Nganasan and the extinct Yurats. == Differences between Tundra and Forest Nenets ==

Tundra Nenets generally has remained closer to Proto-Nenets than Forest Nenets, whose phonology has been influenced by eastern Khanty dialects. Changes towards the modern languages include:{{citation • Tundra Nenets: • Delabialization of /wʲ/ → /j/ • Lenition of initial /k/ → /x/ • Simplification of /ʔk/ → /k/ • Forest Nenets: • Initial /s/ → /x/ • Medial denasalization of /nʲ/ → /j/ • The change of rhotics to lateral fricatives: /r/, /rʲ/ → /ɬ/, /ɬʲ/ • Shortening of geminate nasals • Breaking of geminate /lː/ → /nɬ/ • Phonemicization of palatalized velars /kʲ/, /xʲ/, /ŋʲ/ due to vowel changes • Raising of non-close vowels preceding a syllable with an original close vowel • Loss of vowel distinctions in unstressed syllables • Introduction of short/long contrasts for /a/ and /æ/ == See also ==