The Genesis of "Akane" from Neutralization Theory Perspective

The phenomenon of akane (undifferentiated nonhigh vowel phonemes in unstressed positions), as defined by Durnovo & Avanesov, together with Avanesov's modification of A. Sakhmatov's theory of origin (the quality of the vowel in first prestressed position depends on the quality of the stressed vowel), has developed into a kind of field technique for dialectologists. The modern understanding of akane as "neutralization" of nonhigh vowels in unstressed position is a purely phonological concept. Thus, to attack the problem of the genesis of akane is to explain the origin & history of neutralization in relation to the feature of "height" in phonological oppositions, which can only be accomplished according to modern neutralization theory. Evidence points to five neutralized pairs in the Old Russian period. If the transition of e to o is accepted as having been accomplished at first only under stress, then the possibilities for neutralization in these pairs in unstressed position is increased. This means for modern dialect systems that the strength of neutralization a:o was more or less, depending on whether more or less correlative pairs were neutralized. Where the oppositions a:e & e:e were retained in unstressed position, the strength of neutralization of the opposition a:o was less, ie, the process of neutralization was less intensive. For Old Russian this means that in those dialects where the processes of neutralization of all Old Russian nonhigh vowels converged in the most chronological way, the strength of neutralization was greater, & most probably achieved complete akane. Thus, neutralization theory & diachronic phonology are in a position to explain not only almost all fixed systems of unstressed vocalism as a result of spontaneous development, but the phonetic quality of the archiphoneme, & the "reduction" character of unstressed vowels. W. Kline