Compensatory lengthening

English translation by Bruna Pogliano

Both word formation and inflection may originate consonant clusters which are difficult to pronounce, thus resulting in the loss of one or more consecutive consonants. Lost consonant duration is usually compensated by lengthening the preceding short vowel and, therefore, called compensatory lengthening.

Compensatory vowel lengthening occurs after:

  1. loss of consonantal groups ντ, νδ, νθ;
  2. loss of ν;
  3. loss of σ preceded by λ, μ, ν, ρ.

The table shows compensatory lengthening outcomes of each short vowel:

Short vowel Lengthened vowel Example Outcome Translation
*μέλανς
μέλς
black
η
*ἔφανσα
ἔφηνα
I showed
ε
ει
*σπένδσω
σπείσω
I will make a libation
ο
ου
*ὀδόντς
ὀδούς
tooth
*ἔκλινσα
ἔκλνα
I bent
*ἔπλυνσα
ἔπλνα
I washed

When the transformation of to η preceded consonantal loss, then lengthened to η instead of .

Lengthening of ε to ει and of ο to ου can be explained by the fact that ει and ου are graphic conventions to represent long close e and long close o, respectively.