Proto-Algic (sometimes abbreviated PAc) is the proto-language from which the Algic languages (Wiyot language, Yurok language, and Proto-Algonquian) are descended. It is estimated to have been spoken about 7,000 years ago somewhere in the American Northwest, possibly around the Columbia Plateau. It is an example of a second-level proto-language (a proto-language whose reconstruction depends on data from another proto-language, namely its descendant language Proto-Algonquian) which is widely agreed to have existed. Its main researcher was Paul Proulx.
Vowels
Proto-Algic had four basic vowels, which could be either long or short: long: *i·, *e·, *a·, *o· short: *i, *e, *a, *o
Consonants
Proto-Algic had the following consonants:
+ Proto-Algic consonant phonemes Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottalcentrallateralplainlabialized Stopplain *p *t *k *kʷ *ʔaspirated *pʰ *tʰ *kʰ *kʷʰglottalized *pʼ *tʼ *kʼ *kʷʼAffricateplain *c /t͡s/ *č /t͡ʃ/aspirated *cʰ /t͡sʰ/ *čʰ /t͡ʃʰ/glottalized *cʼ /t͡sʼ/ *čʼ /t͡ʃʼ/ Fricative *s *ɬ1 *š /ʃ/ *h Nasalplain *m *nglottalized *mʼ *nʼLiquidplain*r*lglottalized *rʼ *lʼ Semivowelplain *y /j/ *wglottalized *yʼ /jʼ/ *wʼ
1 The identity of this consonant is not entirely certain; in Proto-Algonquian, it is sometimes alternatively reconstructed as *θ /θ/.
It is unknown if *č /tʃ/ was an independent phoneme or only an allophone of *c and/or *t in Proto-Algic (as in Proto-Algonquian). In 1992, Paul Proulx theorized that Proto-Algic also possessed a phoneme *gʷ, which became *w in Proto-Algonquian and g in Wiyot and Yurok.
All stops and affricates in the above chart have aspirated counterparts, and all consonants, except fricatives, have glottalized ones. Proto-Algonquian significantly reduced this system by eliminating all glottalized and aspirated phonemes.
See also Algic languages Algonquian languages Proto-Algonquian language
References
Further reading Baldi, Philip, Linguistic Change and Reconstruction Methodology (, 1990)