In search of isoglosses: continuous and discrete language embeddings in Slavic historical phonology

This paper investigates the ability of neural network architectures to effectively learn diachronic phonological generalizations in a multilingual setting. We employ models using three different types of language embedding (dense, sigmoid, and straight-through). We find that the Straight-Through model outperforms the other two in terms of accuracy, but the Sigmoid model's language embeddings show the strongest agreement with the traditional subgrouping of the Slavic languages. We find that the Straight-Through model has learned coherent, semi-interpretable information about sound change, and outline directions for future research

Univerbation and prosodic change: On the origin of the Slavic definite adjective accentuation

This paper argues that the unexpected accentuation of the Slavic definite adjectives inflecting according to accent paradigms b and c can be convincingly explained by considering the relative chronology of the rise of the definite adjective and certain changes in the prosody of Slavic. It is supposed that the construction eventually becoming the definite adjective arose at a time when paradigmatic mobility had not yet developed in oxytone o- and ā-stem adjectives and when word-final vowels had not yet been shortened. Endings which were internalized due to the attachment of the enclitic definiteness marker, therefore, preserved their original prosodic features. Later accent retractions such as Dybo’s law and Ivšić’s law as well as paradigmatic leveling then resulted in the attested accentuation. As an exemplary case, the Slavic definite adjective accentuation is interesting for studying the prosodic development of word forms resulting from univerbation of two originally independent elements

Superlative Morphology from Syntax: Slavic Nai-/Naj- and Internal Definiteness Marking in Old Lithuanian

It has long been noticed that the Slavic superlative prefix nai-/naj- comprises two components: *na + *i. The former can be identified with the preposition Sl na ‘on(to)’ which developed an intensifying meaning when used as a prefix. The origin of the second component, on the other hand, has not been determined satisfactorily so far. This paper argues that it can be identified with the Slavic definiteness marker. Drawing upon a typologically common pattern, it is supposed that at a pre-stage of Slavic superlative was derived from the comparative with the aid of a definiteness marker. Definiteness of a noun phrase in earlier Slavic and its neighbouring branch Baltic was denoted by adding a definiteness marker of pronominal origin to the right edge of the adjective. As data from Old Lithuanian show, this morpheme was originally not bound to the position following the adjective. When an adjective/participle was preceded by a prefix/preverb, it could be placed between these two elements. I argue that this state of affairs is also reflected in the Slavic superlative prefix naj-/nai-. Based on the proposed scenario, the article discusses certain general issues related to the externalization of trapped inflectional morphology and the phenomenon of endoclisis

Trapped morphology and the rise of the Slavic definite adjective inflection: a reexamination

Slavic and Baltic show a curious way of overt definiteness marking by means of a specific type of adjective inflection. It arose when the adjective merged with a definiteness marker of pronominal origin. This paper aims at a comprehensive explanation of the rise of the definite adjective morphology in the former branch. First of all, it is argued that contrary to what has been claimed, there is no need to posit loss of trapped morphology to plausibly account for the definite adjective inflection. It can be explained by a series of well-established processes, i.e., sound change, reanalysis, and analogy. An interplay of these processes led to an increase in the phonological fusion of the adjective and the definiteness marker and ultimately resulted in their merger. In discussing the involved changes and in identifying factors that may have motivated them, the paper contributes to the general study of how new inflectional morphology emerges from the coalescence of two formerly independent elements

Egda žena otročęmь xoditъ. On the 5th prescription in the Old Church Slavic Folia medicinalia

The interpretation of prescription No 5 of the Old Church Slavic Folia medicinalia crucially depends on the reading of the two phrasemes otročęmь xoditъ and ne puštaetъ sę kry. In this paper, we present hitherto unnoticed evidence from East and West Slavic that confirms the earlier reading of otročęmь xoditъ as ‘is pregnant’. As for the second phraseme, we explore both a middle (‘blood does not release’) and a passive reading (‘blood is not let’). Invoking philological evidence from ancient and medieval sources, we conclude that both readings allow for plausible interpretations. We suggest that regardless of whether the middle or the passive reading is preferred, the purpose of prescription No 5 can be identified with providing cleansing of the female body during pregnancy. Finally, we discuss the ingredients occurring in the prescription. We conclude that existing identifications of the phytonym *osъtъ are problematic and suggest that the characteristics of the plant described in the prescriptions as well as the adjective attribute velikъi could provide clues for identifying it in future research

The Vienna Principles: A Vision for Scholarly Communication in the 21st Century

Zur Zeit gibt es starke Bemühungen, die offensichtlichen Defizite des wissenschaftlichen Kommunikationssystems zu beheben. Open Science hat das Potenzial, die Produktion und Verbreitung von wissenschaftlichem Wissen positiv zu verändern; es existiert aber keine gemeinsam geteilte Vision, die das System wissenschaftlicher Kommunikation beschreibt, welches wir erschaffen wollen. Zwischen April 2015 und Juni 2016 trafen sich in Wien die Mitglieder der Open Access Network Austria (OANA) Arbeitsgruppe "Open Access and Scholarly Communication", um diese Angelegenheit zu diskutieren. Das Hauptergebnis unserer Überlegungen sind zwölf Prinzipien, die die Eckpfeiler eines künftigen wissenschaftlichen Kommunikationssystems darstellen. Diese Prinzipien sollen einen kohärenten Bezugsrahmen für die Debatte zur Verbesserung des derzeitigen Systems liefern. Mit diesem Dokument hoffen wir, eine breite Diskussion über eine gemeinsame Vision für die wissenschaftliche Kommunikation im 21. Jahrhundert anzustoßen

On the Slavic Word for ‘Morning’: *(j)u(s)tro

The history of the Slavic word for ‘morning’ constitutes an old problem of Slavic etymology. Forms such as OCS utro, Cr jȕtro, R утро, Cz jitro ‘morning’ as well as the adverb OCS zaustra ‘in the morning’, Bg зáстра etc. certainly continue the root PIE *h2eu̯s- ‘(morgens) hell werden’. Consequently, an explanation of the attested forms needs to account for the following three issues: (1) the loss of the root final sibilant in most of the Slavic forms; (2) the acute tone on the root syllable; (3) the presence of a word-initial glide j in some Slavic languages. The present article deals with these problems. By starting from a holokinetic r-stem both the loss of the root final sibilant as well as the acute tone on the root syllable are explained as resulting from contamination of different stem or root variants respectively. The occurrence of a word initial glide, on the other hand, is explained by a transfer within syntagmatic expressions. One of the advantages of the proposed scenario is that all the posited changes may be paralleled by developments elsewhere in Slavic or Indo-European

Diachrone Lautlehre des Russischen

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Versuch unternommen, eine relative Chronologie aller Lautwandel vom Urslavischen bis zum Russischen auszuarbeiten und mit Beispielen zu begründen. Die Arbeit gliedert sich in eine Einleitung, einen Hauptteil und ein Glossar: 1. Einleitung: Sie dient dazu, dem Leser jene Annahmen näher zu bringen, die der Arbeit a priori zugrunde liegen. In besonderem Maße betrifft dies die Definition der Begriffe „Vorurslavisch“, „Urslavisch“ und „Gemeinslavisch“. 2. Hauptteil: Ausgehend vom Rekonstrukt des Urslavischen werden hier die nachurslavischen Lautwandel des Russischen in eine Reihenfolge gebracht. Folgende Beziehungen zwischen den einzelnen Wandeln spielen bei dieser Reihung eine Rolle: a) Feeding: Regel A erzeugt Inputs für Regel B, daher ist A vor B zu reihen; b) Bleeding: Regel A entzieht der Regel B Inputs, daher ist A vor B zu reihen; c) Counterfeeding: Regel B würde bei einer Reihung vor Regel A Inputs für diese erzeugen, tut dies aber nicht, daher A vor B; d) Counterbleeding: Regel B würde bei einer Reihung vor Regel A der Regel A Inputs entziehen, tut dies aber nicht, daher A vor B. Daneben werden auch Daten aus Lehnbeziehungen herangezogen. 3. Glossar: Hier werden mit einigen wenigen Ausnahmen alle Wortbeispiele, deren Ableitung im Hauptteil zur Begründung einer bestimmten Regelfolge in geraffter Form dargestellt wurde, nochmals, nun aber unter Berücksichtigung jedes einzelnen Ableitungsschritts und eventuell erfolgten unlautgesetzlichen Interferenzen, angeführt. Das Endergebnis der vorliegenden Arbeit ist somit ein Modell einer relativen Chronologie aller Lautwandel, die das Russische seit dem Urslavischen vollzogen hat