Cerrado languages
The Cerrado languages are a branch of the Jê languages constituted by the Goyaz Jê languages and Akuwẽ (Central Jê).
Sound changes from Proto-Jê">Jê languages">Proto-Jê to Proto-Cerrado
The occurrence of the consonant */g/ in Proto-Cerrado is believed to be an innovation; it has been claimed to have been inserted in onsetless-stressed syllables.The Proto-Cerrado diphthongs *wa and *ja are believed to continue Proto-Jê monophthongs, which have been reconstructed as *ô and *ê₂. Other vowels which have been claimed to have innovated in Proto-Cerrado are:
- *ô ;
- *u ;
- *ũ ;
- *ə̃ ;
- all vowels in the Proto-Jê unstressed syllables of the shape *pV- were neutralized in the Cerrado languages: Proto-Cerrado *pᵊ-.
Sound changes from Proto-Cerrado to the daughter languages
Onsets
The simple onset inventory of Proto-Cerrado is */p m w t n ɾ c ɲ j k ŋ g/, and the only complex onsets are */pɾ mɾ kɾ ŋɾ/.Their reflexes in the daughter branches are shown below.
Nuclei
The inventory of the Proto-Cerrado monophthongs is reconstructed as follows.In addition, two diphthongs can be reconstructed, */wa/ and */ja/.
The following table shows the usual reflexes of the Proto-Cerrado nuclei in Proto-Goyaz Jê and in Proto-Akuwẽ. The latter group shows a chain vowel shift known as the Akuwẽ/Central Jê vowel shift.
| Proto-Cerrado | Proto-Goyaz Jê | Proto-Akuwẽ |
| *a */a/ | *a */a/,
| *a */a/ |
| *ə */ɜ/ | *ə */ɜ/ | *e */ɛ/, *ê */e/ |
| *ə̂ */ɘ/ | *ə̂ */ɘ/ | *e */ɛ/, *ê */e/ |
| *y */ɨ/ | *y */ɨ/, | *ə */ə/ |
| *o */ɔ/ | *o */ɔ/ | *o */ɔ/ |
| *ô */o/ | *ô */o/ | *u */u/ |
| *u */u/ | *u */u/, | *u */u/ |
| *wa */wa/ | *wa */wa/, *û */ua/, *wə̂ */wɘ/ | *wa */wa/ |
| *e */ɛ/ | *e */ɛ/ | *ê */e/ |
| *ê */e/ | *ê */e/ | *i */i/ |
| *i */i/ | *i */i/ | *i */i/ |
| *ja */ja/ | *jê */je/, *î */ia/ | *ĵa */ɟa/ |
| *ə̃ */ɜ̃/ | *ə̃ */ɜ̃/ | *ə̃ */ə̃/ |
| *ỹ */ɨ̃/ | *ỹ */ɨ̃/ | *ə̃ */ə̃/ |
| *õ */ɔ̃/ | *õ */ɔ̃/ | *õ */ɔ̃/ |
| *ẽ */ɛ̃/ | *ẽ */ɛ̃/ | *ẽ */ɛ̃/ |
| *ĩ */ĩ/ | *ĩ */ĩ/ | *ĩ */ĩ/ |