Editing Messapic language (section)

== Phonology ==
A characteristic feature of Messapic is the absence of the Indo-European phonological opposition between the vowels /u/ and /o/, the language featuring only an o/u [[phoneme]]. Consequently, the superfluous letter /u/ ([[upsilon]]) was not taken over following the initial period of adaption of the [[Archaic Greek alphabets|Western ("red") Greek alphabet]].{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|pp=1840, 1844}} The 'o/u' phoneme existed in opposition to an 'a/o' phoneme formed after the phonological distinction between ''*o'' and ''*a'' was abandoned.{{sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}} The [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] (PIE) vowel /o/ regularly appears as /a/ in inscriptions (e.g., Venas < *Wenos; menza < *mendyo; tabarā < *to-bhorā).{{Sfn|Matzinger|2015|p=59}}{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}} The original PIE phonological opposition between ''ō'' and ''o'' is still perceptible in Messapic.{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}} The [[diphthong]] ''*ou'', itself reflecting the merged diphthongs ''*ou'' and ''eu'', underwent [[sound change]] to develop into ''ao'', then into ''ō'' (e.g., *Toutor > Taotor > Θōtor).{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}}

The dental affricate or spirant written Θ is frequently used before the sounds ''ao-'' or ''o-'', where it is most likely a replacement for the older letter [[File:Messapic-trident2.svg|30x30px|alt=]]. Another special letter, [[File:Messapic-trident1.svg|30x30px|alt=]], occurs almost exclusively in Archaic inscriptions from the 6th and 5th centuries BC.{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1840}} Multiple [[Palatalization (sound change)|palatalizations]] have also taken place, as in '[[Zis (deity)|Zis]]' < *dyēs, 'Artorres' < *Artōryos, or 'Bla(t)θes' < *Blatyos (where '(t)θ' probably denoted a dental affricate or spirant /ts/ or /tš/).{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}} Proto-Indo-European *''s'' was rather clearly reflected in initial and intervocalic positions as Messapic ''h'', with notable examples including ''klaohi'' and ''hipa'', but note ''Venas'' with *''s'' in final position.{{sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=de Simone|first1=Carlo|title=La genti non greche della Magna Grecia. Atti dell' XI Convegno di Studi sulla Magna Grecia.|date=1972|publisher=Arte tipografica|editor1-last=Stazio|editor1-first=Attilio|location=Naples|pages=181–182|language=it|chapter=La lingua messapica: tentativo di una sintesi}}</ref>

The Proto-Indo-European [[Aspirated consonant|voiced aspirates]] ''*bh'' and ''*dh'' are certainly represented by the simple unaspirated voiced [[obstruent]]s /b/ and /d/ in Messapic (e.g., 'berain' < *bher-; '-des' < *dʰeh₁).{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}} On the other hand, the outcomes of the Indo-European palatal, velar, and labiovelar stops remain unclear, with slender evidence.{{sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1844}}