# Iotation

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{{Short description|Type of sound change in Slavic languages}}
{{about|palatalization in Slavic languages|iotated vowels in Korean|Korean phonology#Diphthongs and glides|the vowel shift in Greek|Iotacism}}
{{Distinguish|Rotation}}

In [Slavic languages](/source/Slavic_languages), '''iotation''' ({{IPAc-en|j|oʊ|ˈ|t|eɪ|ʃ|ən}} {{respell|yoh|TAY|shən}} or {{IPAc-en|ˌ|aɪ|.|oʊ|ˈ|t|eɪ|ʃ|ən}} {{respell|EYE|oh|TAY|shən}}) is a form of [palatalization](/source/palatalization_(phonetics)) that occurs when a consonant comes into contact with the [palatal approximant](/source/palatal_approximant) {{IPA|/j/}} from the succeeding phoneme. The {{IPA|/j/}} is represented by [iota](/source/iota) (ι) in the [early Cyrillic alphabet](/source/early_Cyrillic_alphabet) and the [Greek alphabet](/source/Greek_alphabet) on which it is based. For example, ''ni'' in [English](/source/English_language) ''onion'' has the sound of iotated ''n''. Iotation is a phenomenon distinct  from [Slavic first palatalization](/source/Slavic_first_palatalization) in which only the front vowels are involved, but the final result is similar.

==Sound change==
Iotation occurs when a labial ({{IPA|/m/}}, {{IPA|/b/}}), dental ({{IPA|/n/}}, {{IPA|/s/}}, {{IPA|/l/}}) or velar ({{IPA|/k/}}, {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, {{IPA|/x/}}) consonant comes into contact with an ''iotated vowel'', i.e. one preceded by a palatal glide {{IPA|/j/}}. As a result, the consonant becomes partially or completely palatalized.{{sfn|Bethin|1998|p=36}} In many Slavic languages, iotated consonants are called "soft" and the process of iotation is called "softening".

Iotation can result in a partial [palatalization](/source/palatalization_(phonetics)) so the centre of the tongue is raised during, and sometimes after, the articulation of the consonant. There can also be a complete sound change to a [palatal](/source/palatal_consonant) or [alveolo-palatal consonant](/source/alveolo-palatal_consonant). This table summarizes the typical outcomes in the modern Slavic languages:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- 
! colspan="3" | [Labial](/source/Labial_consonant)
! colspan="3" | [Dental](/source/Dental_consonant)/[alveolar](/source/Alveolar_consonant)
! colspan="3" | [Velar](/source/Velar_consonant)/[Glottal](/source/Glottal_consonant)
|- style="font-size: small;"
! origin
! partial
! complete
! origin
! partial
! complete
! origin
! partial
! complete
|-
| {{IPA link|p}} || {{IPA|pʲ}} || {{IPA|pj, pʎ}} 
| {{IPA link|t}} || {{IPA|tʲ}} || {{IPA link|c}}, {{IPA link|tɕ}}, {{IPA link|tʃ}} 
| {{IPA link|k}} || {{IPA|kʲ}} || {{IPA link|c}}, {{IPA link|tɕ}}, {{IPA link|tʃ}}
|-
| {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA|bʲ}} || {{IPA|bj, bʎ}} 
| {{IPA link|d}} || {{IPA|dʲ}} || {{IPA link|ɟ}}, {{IPA link|dʑ}}, {{IPA link|dʒ}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}} || {{IPA|ɡʲ}} || {{IPA link|ɟ}}, {{IPA link|dʑ}}, {{IPA link|dʒ}} 
|-
| {{IPA link|f}} || {{IPA|fʲ}} || {{IPA|fj, fʎ}}
| {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA|sʲ}} || {{IPA link|ɕ}}, {{IPA link|ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|x}} || {{IPA|xʲ}} || {{IPA link|ç}}, {{IPA link|ɕ}}, {{IPA link|ʃ}}
|-
| {{IPA link|v}} || {{IPA|vʲ}} || {{IPA|vj, vʎ}}
| {{IPA link|z}} || {{IPA|zʲ}} || {{IPA link|ʑ}}, {{IPA link|ʒ}}
| {{IPA link|ɣ}} || {{IPA|ɣʲ}} || {{IPA link|ʝ}}, {{IPA link|ʑ}}, {{IPA link|ʒ}}
|-
| {{IPA link|m}} || {{IPA|mʲ}} || {{IPA|mj, mʎ, mɲ}} 
| {{IPA link|n}} || {{IPA|nʲ}} || {{IPA link|ɲ}}
| {{IPA link|h}} || {{IPA|hʲ}} || {{IPA link|ç}}, {{IPA link|ɕ}} 
|-
| || || || {{IPA link|l}} || {{IPA|lʲ}} || {{IPA link|ʎ}} 
|{{IPA link|ɦ}} || {{IPA|ɦʲ}} || {{IPA link|ʝ}}, {{IPA link|ʑ}}
|}
According to most scholars, the period of iotation started approximately in the 5th century, in the era of [Proto-Slavic](/source/Proto-Slavic), and it lasted for several centuries, probably into the late Common Slavic dialect differentiation. Here is an example from the early stage:{{sfn|Bethin|1998|p=36}}
* Proto-Slavic *''{{lang|sla|kĭasĭa}}''/кьасьа > Russian, Ukrainian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbian '''{{lang|ru|чаша}}''' ''(čaša)'', Czech '''''{{lang|cs|číše}}''''', Croatian '''čaša'''

==Orthography==
=== Iotated vowels ===
In Slavic languages, iotated vowels are preceded by a [palatal approximant](/source/palatal_approximant) {{IPA|/j/}} before a [vowel](/source/vowel), at the beginning of a word, or between two vowels in the middle of a word, creating a diphthongoid, a partial [diphthong](/source/diphthong).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://feb-web.ru/feb/slt/abc/lt1/lt1-3061.htm |title=Йотация // Словарь литературных терминов. Т. 1. — 1925 (текст) |publisher=Feb-web.ru |access-date=2011-09-17}}</ref> In the [Greek alphabet](/source/Greek_alphabet), the consonant is represented by [iota](/source/iota) (ι). For example, the [English](/source/English_language) ''apple'' is [cognate](/source/cognate) to [Russian](/source/Russian_language) ''{{lang|ru|яблоко}} ({{transliteration|ru|ISO|jabloko}})'', both come from {{langx|ine-x-proto|h₂ébōl}}. As a result of the phenomenon, no native Slavic root starts with an {{IPA|[e]}} or an {{IPA|[a]}} but only with a {{IPA|[je]}} and {{IPA|[ja]}}; although other vowels are possible. An exception to this is Bulgarian, which has lost iotation for all front vowels (compared to Russian or Polish, who lost it only before {{IPA|[i]}}).

As it was invented for the writing of Slavic languages, the original [Cyrillic alphabet](/source/Cyrillic_alphabet) has relatively complex ways for representing iotation by devoting an entire class of letters to deal with the issue. There are letters which represent iotated vowels; the same letters also palatalize preceding consonants (with or without self-iotation), which is why iotation and palatalization are often mixed up. There are also two special letters (''soft sign'' [Ь](/source/%D0%AC) and ''hard sign'' [Ъ](/source/%D0%AA)) that also induce iotation; in addition, [Ь](/source/%D0%AC) palatalizes preceding [consonant](/source/consonant), allowing combinations of both palatalized (soft) and plain (hard) consonants with {{IPA|[j]}}. Originally, these letters produced short vowels {{IPA|[i]}} and {{IPA|[u]}}. The exact use depends on the language.

The adjective for a phone which undergoes iotation is ''iotated''. The adjective for a [letter](/source/letter_(alphabet)) formed as a [ligature](/source/ligature_(typography)) of the [Early Cyrillic I](/source/Early_Cyrillic_I) (І) and another letter, used to represent iotation, is ''iotated''.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}. The use of an iotated letter does not necessarily denote iotation. Even an iotated letter following a consonant letter is not iotated in most orthographies, but iotated letters imply iotated pronunciation after vowels and [soft](/source/soft_sign) and [hard](/source/yer) signs as well as in isolation.

In the Cyrillic alphabet, some letter forms are iotated, formed as a [ligature](/source/ligature_(typography)) of [Early Cyrillic I](/source/Early_Cyrillic_I) (І) and a vowel.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=3 align=center|Normal||colspan=3 align=center|Iotated||rowspan=2 align=center|Comment
|-
!Name||Shape||Sound||Name||Shape||Sound
|-
||[A](/source/A_(Cyrillic))||А||{{IPA|/a/}}||[Iotated A](/source/Iotated_A)||Ꙗ||{{IPA|/ja/}}
||Now supplanted by [Ja](/source/Ya_(Cyrillic)) (Я)
|-
||[Est'](/source/E_(Cyrillic))||Є||{{IPA|/e/}}||[Iotated E](/source/Iotated_E)||Ѥ||{{IPA|/je/}}
||No longer used
|-
||[Uk](/source/Uk_(Cyrillic))||Оу||{{IPA|/u/}}||[Iotated uk](/source/Iotated_uk)||Ю||{{IPA|/ju/}}
||Uk is an archaic form of [U](/source/U_(Cyrillic)) (У)
|-
||[Little Jus](/source/Little_Yus)||Ѧ||{{IPA|/ẽ/}}||[Iotated little yus](/source/Iotated_little_yus)||Ѩ||{{IPA|/jẽ/}}
||No longer used
|-
||[Big Jus](/source/Big_Yus)||Ѫ||{{IPA|/õ/}}||[Iotated big yus](/source/Iotated_big_yus)||Ѭ||{{IPA|/jõ/}}
||No longer used as of 1899
|}
In old inscriptions, other iotated letters, even consonants, could be found, but they are not in the regular alphabet.

There are more letters that serve the same function, but their [glyph](/source/glyph)s are not made in the same way.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=3 align=center|Normal||colspan=3 align=center|Iotated||rowspan=2 align=center|Comment
|-
!Name||Shape||Sound||Name||Shape||Sound
|-
|[A](/source/A_(Cyrillic))||Аа||{{IPA|/a/}}||[Ja](/source/Ya_(Cyrillic))||Яя||{{IPA|/ja/}}
||Common for East Slavic alphabets
|-
|[E](/source/E_(Cyrillic))||Ээ||rowspan=2|{{IPA|/e/}}||[Je](/source/Ye_(Cyrillic))||Ее||rowspan=2|{{IPA|/je/}}
||Used in [Belarusian](/source/Belarusian_alphabet) and [Russian](/source/Russian_alphabet)
|-
|[E](/source/Ye_(Cyrillic))||Ее||[Je](/source/Ukrainian_Ye)||Єє
||Used in [Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_alphabet)
|-
|[I](/source/Dotted_I_(Cyrillic))||Іi||{{IPA|/i/}}||[Ji](/source/Yi_(Cyrillic))||Її||{{IPA|/ji/}}
||Used in [Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_alphabet)
|-
|[O](/source/O_(Cyrillic))||Оо||{{IPA|/o/}}||[Jo](/source/Yo_(Cyrillic))||Ёё||{{IPA|/jo/}}
||The letter is used in [Belarusian](/source/Belarusian_alphabet) and [Russian](/source/Russian_alphabet), in [Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language) and [Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_language) the digraphs "Йо" and "Ьо" are used instead
|-
|[U](/source/U_(Cyrillic))||Уу||{{IPA|/u/}}||[Ju](/source/Yu_(Cyrillic))||Юю||{{IPA|/ju/}}
||Common for East Slavic alphabets
|}

=== Iotated consonants ===
Iotated consonants occur as result of iotation. They are transcribed in [IPA](/source/International_Phonetic_Alphabet) with superscript ''j'' after, so iotated ''n'' is noted as {{IPA|[nʲ]}}.

When [Vuk Karadžić](/source/Vuk_Karad%C5%BEi%C4%87) reformed the [Serbian language](/source/Serbian_language), he created new letters to represent iotated consonants. [Macedonian](/source/Macedonian_language) uses two of them, but has its own versions for iotated ''t'' and ''d'' (resembling the letters [Г](/source/Ge_(Cyrillic)) and [К](/source/Ka_(Cyrillic)) instead of [Т](/source/Te_(Cyrillic)) and [Д](/source/De_(Cyrillic))):
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Name||Shape||Sound
|-
||[Lje](/source/Lje)||Љ љ||*{{IPA|/lʲ/}}→{{IPA|/ʎ/}}
|-
||[Nje](/source/Nje)||Њ њ||*{{IPA|/nʲ/}}→{{IPA|/ɲ/}}
|-
||[Tje](/source/Tshe)||Ћ ћ||*{{IPA|/tʲ/}}→{{IPA|/tɕ/}}
|-
||[Dje](/source/Dje)||Ђ ђ||*{{IPA|/dʲ/}}→{{IPA|/dʑ/}}
|-
||[Kje](/source/Kje)||Ќ ќ||*{{IPA|/tʲ/}}→{{IPA|/c/}}
|-
||[Gje](/source/Gje)||Ѓ ѓ||*{{IPA|/dʲ/}}→{{IPA|/ɟ/}}
|}

== See also ==
* [Cyrillic alphabet](/source/Cyrillic_alphabet)
* [Cyrillic ligatures](/source/%3ACategory%3ACyrillic_ligatures)
* [Iotacism](/source/Iotacism)
* [Palatalization](/source/Palatalization_(sound_change)), the historical-linguistic sound change
* [Soft sign](/source/Soft_sign)

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Lunt |year=2001 |title=Old Church Slavonic Grammar |first=Horace Gray |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=9783110162844 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7BXJgfIo_fYC&pg=PA195}}
* {{cite book |last=Bethin |year=1998 |first=Christina Y. |title=Slavic Prosody: Language Change and Phonological Theory |series=Cambridge Studies in Linguistics |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521591485 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FRrhc507BOUC&pg=PA36}}
{{refend}}

Category:Assimilation (linguistics)
Category:Cyrillic script

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Iotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iotation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iotation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.