On the Problems of Proto-Ugric *ć and Its Reflexes in Hungarian: Analyzing the Etymologies

Abstract

In this paper, the problems with the reconstruction of an affricate phoneme *ć and its reflexes in Hungarian are discussed. Proto-Ugric *ć is often reconstructed, but its alleged reflexes in Hungarian show unexplained variation (s, z, cs), and many of the etymologies involve other phonological irregularities. It is troubling that although in some cases Hungarian shows s and Khanty and Mansi *ć, often the reflexes of the affricate show discrepancy, with part of the languages showing regular reflexes of Proto-Uralic *ś. In this paper, the Ugric etymologies suggested in earlier etymological sources are analyzed and new solutions to the problem of Proto-Ugric *ć and its reflexes in Hungarian are suggested. The problems is also related to the study of the reflexes of Proto-Uralic *ć in Hungarian.

Keywords

• ugric; hungarian; ob-ugric; historical phonology; etymology