ProtoVordinar

ProtoVordinar is a hypothetical proto-language proposed as the common ancestor of the Vordinar language family. It is reconstructed through the comparative method, using regular sound correspondences and shared basic vocabulary among its descendants. The concept provides a framework for understanding how the family diversified over time.

The name combines proto- with Vordinar, an ethnolinguistic label for speakers historically associated with the central Vordinar Basin. Proponents date ProtoVordinar to the early to mid-neolithic era in the region, positing it as the linguistic source from which several regional languages descended.

Reconstructed phonology suggests a consonant inventory including p, t, k, b, d, g, s, m, n, l, r, and a five-vowel system. Syllables are often CV or CVC. The grammar is described as analytic with suffixal case marking and a nominative-accusative alignment; basic word order is typically SOV, with determiners and numerals following the noun. Adjectival modifiers are reconstructed to appear near the noun they describe, consistent with other SOV language groups.

Evidence relies on cognate lexemes and regular sound correspondences among descendant languages; no direct texts survive. Dating is approximate, with proposals centered around 6,000–4,000 BCE, depending on regional calibration. Some scholars question the robustness of the reconstruction due to sparse data and potential contact-induced changes.

ProtoVordinar has influenced studies of historical linguistics by illustrating how a single ancestor can account for shared morphology and core vocabulary across related languages. It remains a topic of debate, with ongoing efforts to refine reconstructions as new data from related languages and archaeology emerge.