Editing Massachusett language (section)

====Lack of syncope====
'Abenakian syncope' was an areal feature that had spread from the Abenakian languages to [[Mahican language|Mahican]], a Delawarean language, and was beginning to spread into SNEA during the early colonial period. The feature was obligatory in the Quiripi, Unquachoag, Montauk, Mohegan and Pequot dialects of the Long Island sound, frequent in Nipmuc and mostly absent in Massachusett and Narragansett. For example the 'Fox Sachem' of the Pequot was known to late-stage speakers as {{lang|xpq|[[Uncas|Wôqs]]}} {{IPA|/wãkʷs/}} whereas the English name 'Uncas' likely preserves an older dialectal and pre-syncopated stage pronunciation of {{IPA|/[w]ãkʷəhs/}}, cf. Massachusett {{lang|alg|wonquiss}} ({{lang|wam|wôquhs}}) {{IPA|/wãkʷəhs/}}, indicating that the transition was not complete in New England when the English colonists arrived. When it appears in Massachusett documents, it seems to be indicative of dialectal features or in forced situations, such as sung versions of the Massachusett translations of the ''[[Psalms|Psalms of David]]'' in the ''Massachusee Psalter.''<ref name="Costa, D. J. 2007. pp. 96-99">Costa, D. J. (2007). pp. 96–99.</ref>

In dialects that permitted syncopation, it generally involved the deletion of {{IPA|/ə/}}, {{IPA|/a/}} and occasionally {{IPA|/iː/}}, usually at the end of a word, after a long vowel, or metrical factors such as the Algonquian stress rules which deleted these vowels in weakly stressed positions. In Massachusett, there are some syncopated forms such as {{lang|alg|kuts}} {{IPA|/kəts/}}, '[[cormorant]],' and {{lang|alg|ꝏsqheonk}} {{IPA|/wəskʷhjᵊãk/}}, 'his/her blood,' but these are rare instances compared to the more common {{lang|alg|kuttis}} ({{lang|wam|kutuhs}}) {{IPA|/kətəhs/}} and {{lang|alg|wusqueheonk}} ({{lang|wam|wusqeeheôk}}) {{IPA|/wəskʷiːhjᵊãk/}}, respectively, that also appear in Eliot's translations. Although a clear dialectal feature, unfortunately, the majority of documents are of unknown authorship and geographic origin.<ref name="Costa, D. J. 2007. pp. 96-99"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Abenaki-influenced vowel syncope in SNEA
|-
! English
! Massachusett
! Narragansett
! Nipmuc
! Mohegan-Pequot
! Quiripi
|-
| [[Manitou|God]]
| {{lang|alg|man<u>i</u>tt}}<br/>{{lang|alg|man<u>u</u>t}}<br/>{{IPA|/man<u>ə</u>t/}}
| {{lang|xnt|man<u>ì</u>t}}<br/>{{IPA|/man<u>ə</u>t/}}
| {{lang|xlo|man<u>e</u>t8}}<br/>{{IPA|/man<u>ə</u>tuː/}}
| {{lang|xpq|manto}}<br/>{{IPA|/man[∅]tuː/}}
| {{lang|alg|mando}}<br/>{{IPA|/man[∅]tuː/}}
|-
| gun
| {{lang|alg|pask<u>eh</u>heeg}}<br/>{{lang|alg|pôsk<u>u</u>heek}}<br/>{{IPA|/pãsk<u>ə</u>hiːk/}}
|
| {{lang|xlo|paskig}}<br/>{{IPA|/pãsk[∅]hiːk/}}

| {{lang|xpq|páskhik}}<br/>{{IPA|/pãsk[∅]hiːk/}}
| {{lang|alg|boshkeag}}<br/>{{IPA|/pãsk[∅]hiːk/}}
|-
| sea 
| {{lang|alg|keht<u>uh</u>han}}<br/>{{lang|alg|kuht<u>a</u>han}}<br/>{{IPA|/kəht<u>a</u>han/}}
| {{lang|xnt|kitthan}}<br/>{{IPA|/kəht[∅]han/}}
|
| {{lang|xpq|kuhthan}}<br/>{{IPA|/kəht[∅]han/}}
| {{lang|alg|kut-hún}}<br/>{{IPA|/kəht[∅]han/}}
|}