Satemtype

Satemtype refers to a traditional classification within the Indo-European language family that distinguishes languages by a historical sound change known as the Satem shift. The name Satem is derived from the Avestan word satəm, meaning “hundred,” and was used as a mnemonic based on the characteristic way the word for “hundred” appears in Satem languages (for example, Sanskrit śata- or Lithuanian šimtas), contrasting with the Centum group, where the corresponding word begins with a k-like sound (Latin centum, Greek hekaton).

The core phonological feature of Satemtype languages is the treatment of the Proto-Indo-European palatovelars. In Satem languages, these palatovelars commonly become sibilants or s-like sounds (for example, the development of ś, s, or related sounds), while the Palatovelars remain as or merge with other velar sounds in Centum languages. This distinction links a set of branches traditionally grouped as Satem (notably Indo-Iranian, Armenian, and the Baltic–Slavic area) with a different set of branches traditionally grouped as Centum (such as Italic, Celtic, and Germanic, among others).

In practice, Satemtype is a traditional, not absolute, classifier. The boundary is rough, and modern historical-linguistic work often emphasizes a more nuanced view of sound change across Indo-European languages. Nevertheless, the Satem–Centum distinction remains a commonly cited framework for illustrating how early phonological shifts can correlate with broad genealogical groupings within the family.