ProtoUralic

Proto-Uralic is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Uralic language family, which includes the Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic branches. It is not directly attested; knowledge about it comes from the comparative method, comparing cognate vocabulary and grammatical patterns across descendant languages. Reconstruction began in the 19th century and has been refined since, but there is no single definitive description.

Most scholars place Proto-Uralic in the eastern European forest-steppe region near the Ural Mountains, with its speakers expanding westward into Europe and eastward into Siberia. Dating remains uncertain and debated; estimates place the language several millennia BCE.

Phonology: Reconstructed consonants include stops such as p, t, k; a sibilant s; nasals m, n; liquids l, r; and glides w, j. The vowel system is characterized by a two-way harmony that aligns front and back vowels, and many reconstructions assume some vowel length distinction.

Grammar: It was an agglutinative language with extensive suffixation. The nominal system likely featured a sizable case inventory, while the verb system marked tense, aspect, and mood through suffixes, with person marked on the verb in many forms. A basic pronoun and demonstrative system is reconstructed.

Lexicon: Core vocabulary shows cognates across Finnic, Sami, Ugric, Permic, Mari, and Samoyedic languages. Some terms reflect contact-induced borrowings with neighboring language groups.

Descendants: Proto-Uralic yields two main branches, Samoyedic and Finno-Ugric, the latter including Finno, Ugric (Hungarian, Khanty, Mansi), Sami, and related subgroups. Ongoing research continues to refine the homeland, chronology, and detailed phonology and morphology.