Mordvinic languages

Mordvinic
Ethnicity:	Mordvins
Geographic distribution:	Southwestern and Southeastern Russia
Linguistic classification:	Uralic Mordvinic
Subdivisions:	Erzya Moksha ?Muromian

The Mordvinic languages,^[1] alternatively Mordvin languages,^[2] or Mordvinian languages, (Russian: Mordovskie yazyki, the official Russian term for the language pair)^[3] are a subgroup of the Uralic languages, comprising the closely related Erzya language and Moksha language.^[4] Previously considered a single "Mordvin language",^[5] it is now treated as a small language family. Due to differences in phonology, lexicon, and grammar, Erzya and Moksha are not mutually intelligible, to the extent that Russian language is often used for intergroup communications.^[6]

The two Mordvinic languages also have separate literary forms. The Erzya literary language was created in 1922 and the Mokshan in 1923.^[7]

Phonological differences between the two languages include:^[5]

• Moksha retains a distinction between the vowels /ɛ, e/ while in Erzya, both have merged as /e/.
• In unstressed syllables, Erzya features vowel harmony like many other Uralic languages, using [e] in front-vocalic words and [o] in back-vocalic words. Moksha has a simple schwa [ə] in their place.
• Word-initially, Erzya has a postalveolar affricate /tʃ/ corresponding to a fricative /ʃ/ in Moksha.
• Next to voiceless consonants, liquids /r, rʲ, l, lʲ/ and the semivowel /j/ are devoiced in Moksha to [r̥ r̥ʲ l̥ l̥ʲ ȷ̊].

The medieval Muromian language may have been Mordvinic, or close to Mordvinic.

References

1. ^ Bright, William (1992). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195051964. http://books.google.com/books?id=oo4YAAAAIAAJ&q=Erza&pgis=1. 
2. ^ Mordvin languages @ google books
3. ^ Dalby, Andrew (1998). Dictionary of Languages. Columbia University Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=yKSeVLghcfQC&pg=PA429&dq=Erza. 
4. ^ Grenoble, Lenore (2003). Language Policy in the Soviet Union. Springer. p. A80. ISBN 9781402012983. http://books.google.com/books?id=Nn3xDTiL0PQC&pg=PA80&dq=Mordvinic+languages. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Raun, Alo (1988). Sinor, Denis. ed. The Uralic languages: Description, history and foreign influences. BRILL. p. A96. ISBN 9789004077416. http://books.google.com/books?id=TM2NQ78dP2wC&pg=PA96. 
6. ^ Minahan, James (2000). "Mordvin+language" One Europe, Many Nations. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. A489. ISBN 9780313309847. http://books.google.com/books?id=NwvoM-ZFoAgC&pg=PA489&dq="Mordvin+language". 
7. ^ Wixman, Ronald (1984). The Peoples of the USSR. M.E. Sharpe. p. A137. ISBN 9780873325066. http://books.google.com/books?id=WKrN10g4whAC&pg=PA137.