satemization

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noun

The sound change by which palatovelars became fricatives and affricates in satem languages.

Scrabble 23

Meanings

nounsatemization (uncountable)

alternative satemisation

  1. Indo European studiesuncountableThe sound change by which palatovelars became fricatives and affricates in satem languages.
    1 more example

    [footnote:] For instance, if one reconstructs satəmization, the merger of *K and *Kʷ, as an innovation that defines a clade (approx. Thraco-Armeno-Daco-Albano-Balto-Slavo-Indo-Iranian), then the other remaining Indo-European branches must independently undergo centumization as they branch off at higher nodes. Each of these individually centumizing higher clades (Anatolian, Tocharian, Italo-Celtic, and Germanic) represents undesirable homoplastic innovations.

    2022 December 14, John Clayton, “Labiovelar loss and the rounding of syllabic liquids in Indo-Iranian”, in Indo-European Linguistics, →DOI, page 46

    Antonyms: centumization

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe sound change by which palatovelars became fricatives and affricates in satem languages.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*déḱm̥
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱm̥tóm
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranian*ćatám
  4. Avestan𐬯𐬀𐬙𐬀 (sata)
  5. Avestan𐬯𐬀𐬙𐬆𐬨 (satəm)
  6. Englishsatem
  7. Englishsatemize
  8. Englishsatemization

From satem + -ization or satemize + -ation. Doublet of centumization.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

satemization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/satemization

MLA

“satemization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/satemization. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “satemization,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/satemization.

Source: satemization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.