What Are The Implications Of The Differing Vowel Reduction Patterns In Old East Slavic And Old West Slavic On The Development Of Modern Accentual Paradigms In Russian And Polish, Particularly In Terms Of The Reflexes Of The Proto-Slavic *ě And *ę Diphthongs?

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The implications of differing vowel reduction patterns in Old East Slavic (OES) and Old West Slavic (OWS) on the development of modern accentual paradigms in Russian and Polish, particularly regarding the Proto-Slavic diphthongs *ě and *ę, can be summarized as follows:

  1. Vowel Reduction and Evolution of Diphthongs:

    • Old East Slavic (OES): Extensive vowel reduction occurred, especially in unstressed positions. The diphthong *ě evolved into 'e' or 'i', while *ę became 'e' or 'ja' in some cases. This reduction influenced the development of a mobile stress system in Russian, leading to varied vowel reflexes and alternations in stressed and unstressed positions.
    • Old West Slavic (OWS): Less vowel reduction allowed for the retention of distinct reflexes. The diphthong *ě evolved into 'e', and *ę became a nasal 'ę' or 'e' with a following nasal consonant, contributing to Polish's complex nasal vowel system.

  2. Accentual Paradigms:

    • Russian: The mobile stress system interacts with vowel reduction, resulting in diverse vowel alternations (e.g., 'e' in stressed positions and 'i' in unstressed). This leads to irregularities in morphological paradigms due to stress shifts affecting vowel quality.
    • Polish: Fixed penultimate stress results in more predictable vowel alternations. The retention of nasal vowels from *ę contributes to distinct phonological and morphological patterns without the influence of mobile stress.

  3. Phonological and Morphological Impact:

    • Russian: Extensive vowel reduction and mobile stress create a dynamic interplay between stress and vowel quality, influencing phonological rules and morphological paradigms.
    • Polish: Retention of nasal vowels and fixed stress results in a more predictable system, with specific alternations tied to the evolution of *ě and *ę.

In conclusion, the differing vowel reduction patterns in OES and OWS shaped the distinct phonological and morphological features of Russian and Polish. Russian's complex stress system and vowel alternations contrast with Polish's fixed stress and retention of nasal vowels, each reflecting the unique evolution of Proto-Slavic diphthongs in their respective linguistic environments.