Žena nosi červenu suknju na rynok v sȯlnečny den.
The woman wears a red dress to the market on a sunny day.
The ȯ in sȯlnečny represents the historical Proto-Slavic ъ (the “back yer”), which was a very short, reduced back vowel somewhere between [ŭ] and [o].
Historical Background
- Proto-Slavic had two reduced vowels: ь (front) and ъ (back).
- In strong syllables, ъ usually developed into a full vowel. In many Slavic languages, it became o.
- In Interslavic orthography, ȯ is used to show that this vowel comes from ъ, distinguishing it from o that comes from Proto-Slavic o.
Pronunciation
- In modern Interslavic, ȯ is often pronounced just like a normal [o] in practice, but linguistically it marks a different origin.
- If you want a more historical pronunciation when reading aloud, you can make it slightly shorter or more central: [ɔ] or [o̞].
Example
- Proto-Slavic: sъlnьce (sun) → sъlnьčьnъjь (sunny)
- Interslavic: sȯlnce (sun), sȯlnečny (sunny)
- Polish: słońce, słoneczny (note how ł marks the former l shift)
- Russian: солнце, солнечный
- Slovenian: sonce, sončen
The ȯ here tells you “this o comes from reduced ъ, not from full o” — which is valuable if you want to reconstruct Proto-Slavic or understand historical sound changes.
English | Proto-Slavic | Interslavic | Polish | Russian | Slovenian
------------------|--------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|----------
sun | *sъlnьce | sȯl7 oqwlnce | słońce | солнце | sonce
night | *noťь | noć | noc | ночь | noč
full | *pъlnъ | pȯlny | pełny | полный | poln
to fill | *pъlniti | pȯlniti | pełnić | полнить | polniti
warm | *tъplъ | tȯply | ciepły | тёплый | topel
warmth | *tъplota | tȯplota | ciepłota | теплота | toplota
side, direction | *strъna | strȯna | strona | сторона | stran
old | *stъrъ | stȯry | stary | старый | star
thick | *tъstъ | tȯsty | tłusty | толстый | tolst
fat (noun) | *tъstъ | tȯst | tłuszcz | толстый (adj)| tolšč
year | *lěto | lěto | lato | лето | leto
village | *sъlь | sȯlo | soło (archaic)| село | selo
salt | *sъlь | sȯl | sól | соль | sol
gold | *zlъto | zlȯto | złoto | золото | zlato
lord, master | *gъospodь | gȯspod | gospodarz | господь | gospod
lordship | *gъospodьstvo | gȯspodstvo | gospodarstwo | господство | gospodarstvo
freedom | *svobodъ | svobȯda | swoboda | свобода | svoboda
free | *svobodьnъ | svobȯdny | swobodny | свободный | svoboden
waterfall | *vodopadъ | vodȯpad | wodospad | водопад | slap (diff root)
garden | *gъrodъ | gȯrod | gród | город | grad
city | *gъrodъ | gȯrod | gród/miasto | город | grad
harvest | *žъnьva | žȯnva | żniwa | жатва | žetev
root | *kъrnь | kȯrn | korzeń | корень | koren
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