The sound changes that transform a kentom dialect of Indo-European
into Old Thosk in part resemble those of the Germanic languages.
1.
Initial voiceless stops, and medial voiceless stops followed by voiceless
consonants, become fricatives, except when preceded by /s/ or another consonant.
t->
θ, k-> h [x], p -> f
-
Initially:
-
*tu
-> θu, thu “you.” But *sta- -> staje “stand, remain” – unchanged.
- *kom
-> hom, hon “with, together.” But *skeir -> skir “clear, distinct, sharp” –
unchanged.
- *potlom
-> fodel “cup.” But *spe -> speje “succeed” – unchanged.
-
-
Medially:
- *okt-
-> oht “eight”
- *tepti-
-> theft “warmth”
- *weid
+ ti -> vist “knowledge, science”
2.
Initial voiced stops become voiceless.
b
-> p, d -> t, g -> k
- *boli-
-> pal “strong”
- *dekm
-> tegem “ten”
- *gow
-> kove “speak”
- *ag
-> ake “cause, do”
- *od-
-> ot “smell, scent”
- *weid
-> vit “see, know”
3.
Initial voiced aspirates become voiced stops.
bh
-> b, dh -> d, gh -> g
- *bher
-> bere “carry”
- *webh
-> vebe “weave”
- *dhe-s-
->deze “put, place”
- *ghim
-> gim “winter”
4.
Intervocalic labiovelars [kw, gw and ghw], and some velars
before nasals and some consonants,
become /v/ or /u/ .
- *dhegwh
-> deve “burn”
- *dhegwhr
-> dever “ash(es)”
- *pekw
-> feft “cooking”
- *penkwe
-> fengi “five”
- *perkwunjom
-> fergun “mountain”
- *pekw
-> feve “cook, bake”
- *kwekwlom
-> hugel “wheel, circle”
- *kwer
-> hure “make, do”
- *gwor
-> kurag “hungry”
- *gwel
-> kule “throw”
- *sekw
-> seve “follow”
- *bhargw
-> barve “cram, stuff, fill”
- *teknos
-> theven “servant”
- *dhugater,
dhukter -> duvder “daughter”
5.
Voiceless intervocalic stops become fricatives, become voiced and later become
stops.
- *spek
-> spex -> speγ -> spege ““look, see”
- *stati
-> staθi -> stað(i) -> stad “place, position”
- *tep-
-> θef -> θeβ ->; thebe “be warm”
6.
Intervocalic /s/ becomes /z/ but undergoes no further changes.
- *dhe-s-
->deze “put, place”
- *swesor
-> suzer “sister”
7.
/w/ becomes /v/ or occasionally /u/, especially medially.
- *webh
-> vebe “weave”
- *gow
-> kove “speak”
- *deiwos
-> tev “god”
- *nowjo
-> nuj “new”
- *swesor
-> suzer “sister”