On The Mergers Of Latin Close‐Mid Vowels

Abstract

AbstractIn this article, we examine the details and dating of the mergers of Latin ĭ, ē into ẹ and ŭ, ō into ọ. While these mergers have long since been recognised as a matter of historical fact within the broader development of Latin into Romance, their micro‐level mechanics present several problems. By re‐examining the available evidence from various empirical and theoretical perspectives, we argue that the mergers were the result of two phonological processes: the rise of peripherality distinctions in the vowel system on the one hand and the loss of contrastive vowel length in the fifth century AD on the other.