Phonology
Among the sound changes in the evolution from Proto-Algonquian to Arapaho are the loss of Proto-Algonquian *k, followed by *p becoming either /k/ or /tʃ/; the two Proto-Algonquian semivowels merging to either /n/ or /j/; and *m often becoming /b/. Arapaho is unusual among Algonquian languages in retaining the contrast between the reconstructed phonemes *r and *θ (generally as /n/ and /θ/, respectively). These and other changes serve to give Arapaho a phonological system very divergent from that of Proto-Algonquian and other Algonquian languages, and even from languages spoken in the adjacent Great Basin. Some examples comparing Arapaho words with their cognates in Proto-Algonquian can illustrate this:
| Proto-Algonquian | Arapaho | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| *erenyiwa | hinén | 'man' |
| *wa•poswa | nóːku | 'hare' |
| *nepyi | nétʃ | 'water' |
| *weθkweni | hís | '(his) liver' |
| *mexka•či | wóʔoːθ | 'leg' |
| *si•pi•wi | níːtʃíː | 'river' |
| *sakime•wa | nóúbeː | 'mosquito' > 'fly' |
| *akweHmi | hóú | 'blanket, robe' |
| *ka•ka•kiwa | hóuu | 'raven' > 'crow' |
| *aθemwa | héθ | 'dog' |
Read more about this topic: Arapaho Language