1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Diachronica
  4. Online First Articles
  5. Online First Article
image of The forgotten mid vowels
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

This study re-examines the phonological inventory of Proto-Pano, challenging the prevailing view that it had only four oral vowels. Through a comparative analysis of 23 contemporary Pano languages/varieties, we reconstruct a Proto-Pano system with two additional mid vowels, proposing a six-vowel inventory. This finding diverges from all previous reconstructions, which overlooked historically significant distributional differences between mid vowels in Northern Pano languages, Kakataibo, and Kaxarari. We argue that Pano mid vowels exhibit both conservative and innovative traits, questioning the assumption that all Pano mid vowels are innovations. Our analysis highlights the role of merger in shaping Pano phonological diversity, supporting a six-vowel reconstruction as a more accurate reflection of the comparative data. This revised perspective underscores the importance of carefully analyzing sound correspondence patterns and offers new insights into the historical evolution and internal classification of the Pano language family. Additionally, it calls for a thorough revision of previous Proto-Pano reconstructions and opens promising avenues for future research on the Pano-Takana stock.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/dia.25015.zar
2026-07-10
2026-08-16

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/dia.25015.zar
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Aguiar, Maria Suelí de
    1994 Análise descritiva e teórica do Katukina-Pano. PhD dissertation, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson, C., T. Tresoldi, T. C. Chacon, A. M. Fehn, M. Walworth, R. Forkel & J. M. List
    2018 A cross-linguistic database of phonetic transcription systems. Yearbook of the Poznan Linguistic Meeting(). –. 10.2478/yplm‑2018‑0002
     https://doi.org/10.2478/yplm-2018-0002 [Google Scholar]
  3. Avelino, Heriberto, Roberto Zariquiey & Jorge Pérez
    2020 Nasal coarticulation and prosody in Kakataibo. Phonetica. –.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Barnes, Jonathan
    2006 Strength and weakness at the interface: Positional neutralization in phonetics and phonology. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110197617
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110197617 [Google Scholar]
  5. Blum, F. & C. Barrientos
    2023 A new dataset with phonological reconstructions in CLDF. Computer-Assisted Language Comparison in Practice(). 10.58079/m6lx
     https://doi.org/10.58079/m6lx [Google Scholar]
  6. Blum, F., C. Barrientos, R. Zariquiey & J.-M. List
    2024 A comparative wordlist for investigating distant relations among languages in Lowland South America. Scientific Data(). 10.1038/s41597‑024‑02928‑7
     https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02928-7 [Google Scholar]
  7. Blum, F., C. Barrientos, A. Ingunza & J.-M. List
    2024 Cognate reflex prediction as hypothesis test for a genealogical relation between the Panoan and Takanan language families. Scientific Reports(). 10.1038/s41598‑024‑82515‑3
     https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82515-3 [Google Scholar]
  8. Campbell, Lyle
    1998 Historical linguistics: An introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Cândido, G.
    2004 Descrição morfossintática da língua Shanenawa (Pano). PhD dissertation, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Couto, Cláudio
    2015 A fonologia do Saynáwa (Pano): A língua falada pelos índios Saynáwa/Jamináwa da Terra Indígena Jamináwa do Igarapé Preto (Acre/Brasil). PhD dissertation, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Couto, C.
    2010 Análise fonológica do Saynáwa (Pano): A língua dos índios da T.I. Jamináwa do Igarapé Preto. PhD dissertation, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Crosswhite, Katherine
    2004 Vowel reduction. InBruce Hayes, Robert Kirchner & Donca Steriade (eds.), Phonetically based phonology, –. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511486401.007
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486401.007 [Google Scholar]
  13. Cruvinel, A.
    2009 Propostas de protoformas fonológicas e lexicais para as línguas Yaminawa, Yawanawa e Yoranawa. BA thesis, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Goiás.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. De la Grasserie, R.
    1890 De la famille linguistique pano. InCongrès International des Américanistes: Compte-rendu de la septième session, Berlin 1888, –. Berlin: Librairie W. H. Kühl.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Dixon, R. M. W. & Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
    1999 Introduction. InR. M. W. Dixon & Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (eds.), The Amazonian languages, –. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511470882.002
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511470882.002 [Google Scholar]
  16. d’Ans, A.-M.
    1973 Reclasificación de las lenguas pano y datos glotocronológicos para la etnohistoria de la Amazonía peruana. Revista del Museo Nacional (Lima). –.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Faust, N. & E. Loos
    2002 Gramática del idioma yaminahua. Serie Lingüística Peruana. Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Ferreira, R.
    2005 Língua Matis (Pano): Uma descrição gramatical. PhD dissertation, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Fleck, D. W.
    2003 A grammar of Matses. PhD dissertation, Rice University, Houston.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. 2013 Panoan languages and linguistics. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Flemming, Edward
    2004 Contrast and perceptual distinctiveness. InBruce Hayes, Robert Kirchner & Donca Steriade (eds.), Phonetically based phonology, –. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511486401.008
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486401.008 [Google Scholar]
  22. Forkel, R., J. M. List, S. J. Greenhill, C. Rzymski, S. Bank, M. Cysouw, H. Hammarström, M. Haspelmath, G. A. Kaiping & R. D. Gray
    2018 Cross-Linguistic Data Formats: Advancing data sharing and re-use in comparative linguistics. Scientific Data(). –. 10.1038/sdata.2018.205
     https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.205 [Google Scholar]
  23. Girard, V.
    1971 Proto-Takanan phonology. Berkeley: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Hammarström, H., R. Forkel, M. Haspelmath & S. Bank
    2024 Glottolog 5.0. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Hock, H. H. & B. D. Joseph
    1996 Language history, language change, and language relationship: An introduction to historical and comparative linguistics. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Hoenigswald, H. M.
    1960 Language change and linguistic reconstruction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Kaxinawá, Joaquim Paulo de Lima
    2014 Uma gramática da língua Hãtxa Kuĩ. PhD dissertation, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Labov, William
    1994 Principles of linguistic change, Volume 1: Internal factors. Oxford: Blackwell.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. List, J. M., C. Anderson, T. Tresoldi & R. Forkel
    2021 Cross-linguistic transcription systems (Version 2.1.0) [Dataset]. Zenodo. 10.5281/zenodo.4705149
     https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4705149 [Google Scholar]
  30. List, Johann-Mattis, Robert Forkel, Simon J. Greenhill, et al
    2022 Lexibank: A public repository of standardized wordlists with computed phonological and lexical features. Scientific Data(). 10.1038/s41597‑022‑01432‑0
     https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01432-0 [Google Scholar]
  31. List, J. M., A. Tjuka, M. van Zantwijk, F. Blum, C. Barrientos, C. Rzymski, S. Greenhill & R. Forkel
    (eds.) 2024 CLLD Concepticon 3.3.0. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. 10.5281/zenodo.14622303
     https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14622303 [Google Scholar]
  32. Loos, E. & B. Loos
    1998 Diccionario capanahua–castellano. Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Loos, E. E.
    1999 Pano. InR. M. W. Dixon & A. Y. Aikhenvald (eds.), The Amazonian languages, –. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Maddieson, Ian
    1984 Patterns of sounds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511753459
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511753459 [Google Scholar]
  35. Martinet, André
    1955 Economy of phonetic change. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Michael, L., W. Chang & T. Stark
    2014 Exploring phonological areality in the Circum-Andean region using a Naive Bayes classifier. Language Dynamics and Change(). –.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Montag, Susan
    1981 Diccionario cashinahua. Serie Lingüística Peruana. Lima: Ministerio de Educación & Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Oliveira, S. de
    2009 Preliminares sobre a fonética e a fonologia da língua falada pelo primeiro grupo de índios Korúbo recém-contatados. MA thesis, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. 2014 Contribuições para a reconstrução do Protopáno. PhD dissertation, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Parker, Stephen G.
    1992 Datos del idioma huariapano. Documento de Trabajo. Yarinacocha: Ministerio de Educación & Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Paula, A. Santos de
    1992 Poyanáwa: a língua dos índios da Aldeia Barão: aspectos fonológicos e morfológicos. MA thesis, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Saussure, Ferdinand de
    1959 Course in general linguistics. Edited byCharles Bally & Albert Sechehaye, in collaboration with Albert Riedlinger. Translated byWade Baskin. New York: Philosophical Library.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Scott, Marie
    2004 Vocabulario sharanahua–castellano. Serie Lingüística Peruana. Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Shell, O. A.
    1965 Pano reconstruction. PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. 1975 Estudios panos III: Las lenguas pano y su reconstrucción. Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. 1987 Vocabulario cashibo–cacataibo. Lima: Instituto Lingüístico Peruano.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Smith, C. Sean
    2021 Aspects of switch reference in Marubo, a Panoan language of Western Amazonia. MA thesis, Trinity Western University, Langley.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Souza, E. Carvalho de
    2004 Aspectos fonológicos da língua jaminawa-arara (pano). MA thesis, Universidade Federal de Goiás. Goiânia.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Tallman, Adam J. R.
    2018 A grammar of Chácobo, a southern Pano language of the northern Bolivian Amazon. PhD dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, Austin.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Tessmann, Günter
    1930 Die Indianer Nordost-Perus: Grundlegende Forschungen für eine systematische Kulturkunde. Hamburg: Friederichsen.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Valenzuela, Pilar M.
    2003 Transitivity in Shipibo-Konibo grammar. PhD dissertation, University of Oregon, Eugene.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Valenzuela, P. & A. Guillaume
    2017 Estudios sincrónicos y diacrónicos sobre lenguas Pano y Takana: Una introducción. InA. Guillaume & P. M. Valenzuela (eds.), Estudios Pano y Takana: Fonología, morfología y sintaxis. Amerindia(). –. París: Association d’Ethnolinguistique Amérindienne.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Valenzuela, P. & S. Oliveira
    2012 Apuntes sobre la gramática kaxarari. Ms.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Valenzuela, P., C. Souza da Silva Kaxarary & R. Zariquiey
    2024 Análisis fonológico y gramatical de la lengua kaxarari. Ms.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Valenzuela, P. & R. Zariquiey
    2023 Language classification in Western Amazonia: Advances in favor of the Pano–Takana hypothesis. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas. . 10.20396/liames.v23i00.8670150
     https://doi.org/10.20396/liames.v23i00.8670150 [Google Scholar]
  56. Valle, Daniel
    2017 Grammar and information structure of Kakataibo. PhD dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Zariquiey, R.
    2006 Hacia una reconstrucción del sistema personal del proto-pano: Aspectos fonológicos y morfológicos. MA thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. 2013 Del «Kaschibo» de Tessmann al cashibo-cacataibo contemporáneo: algunas notas para la comprensión de la historia lingüística de un pueblo pano. Revista Brasileira de Linguística Antropológica, (): –. 10.26512/rbla.v5i1.16546
     https://doi.org/10.26512/rbla.v5i1.16546 [Google Scholar]
  59. 2015 Bosquejo gramatical de la lengua Iskonawa. Boston: Centro de Estudios Literarios Antonio Cornejo Polar.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. 2018 A grammar of Kashibo-Kakataibo. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. In preparation. Diccionario kakataibo–castellano–kakataibo. Ms.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Zariquiey, R., F. Blum, P. Valenzuela, E. Koile, D. Blasi, R. D. Gray & J. M. List
    2024 Tracing the evolution of Pano languages in parallel with archaeological changes in the Ucayali Basin. Paper presented at theworkshop “Multidisciplinary dialogues on the human past of the Urubamba/Ucayali Basin: towards a new synthesis,” Leiden University, The Netherlands.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/dia.25015.zar
Loading
The forgotten mid vowels
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.25015.zar
/content/journals/10.1075/dia.25015.zar
/content/journals/10.1075/dia.25015.zar
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: Proto-Pano ; vowels ; merger ; split ; phonological reconstruction

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error