Some Comments about Paul Ariste's Doctoral Dissertation on Phonetics of Hiiumaa Estonian Dialects
Some Comments about Paul Ariste's Doctoral Dissertation on Phonetics of Hiiumaa Estonian Dialects

Summary/Abstract: The doctoral dissertation by Paul Ariste, defended in 1939, is almost forgotten outside Estonia and even not listed in “Bibligraphia Studiorum Uralicorum 1917-1987”. Still it contains extremely valuable data and discussion about the sound system of the now almost leveled old dialects of the Estonian island Hiiumaa. In several points the data and Ariste’s observations have changed and still can change older views on the historical phonetics/phonology of Finnic dialects. The article focuses on (1) developments and lack of õ, (2) ü in words with the original back vocalism, (3) breaking of mid vowels, (4) reduction and centralization, (5) the rise of Estonian distinctive quantities, (6) the so-called ternary oppositions.

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