Compensatory lengthening in West Slavic

AbstractIt is argued that “compensatory lengthening” of o-stems in West Slavic at the end of Proto-Slavic period is only a cover term for different processes. Former APb forms of *stolъ’type undergo pretonic lengthening, resyllabification and yer loss in several cycles. Former APc forms *bogъtype are resyllabified, may obtain moraic coda and after the loss of yer and the transfer of mora they become lengthened. Former APa of the *klinъtype undergo Kortlandt’s lengthening rule, are resyllabified and the yer is lost. All processes are connected with the rise of rhythmicity and bisyllabic maximally bimoraic domain. Forms are later incorporated into newly created quantitative paradigms which are results of the prosodic transformation of Proto-Slavic accentual paradigms.