The Pronunciation of Upsilon and Related Matters

Abstract

It is universally assumed that the fronting of inherited /u(ː)/ to /y(ː)/ was a relatively late development restricted to Attic-Ionic (to the significant exclusion of Euboean) and possibly to other dialects as well. This paper presents a re-assessment of the evidence available and challenges the general assumption that *u and *ū retained their inherited phonetic value /u(ː)/ in Proto-Greek. The alternative hypothesis is explored that the fronting of /u(ː)/ to /y(ː)/ dates back to Proto-Greek. The presence of /u(ː)/ in the ancient dialects can be accounted for through a secondary backing /y(ː)/ > /u(ː)/ like in the modern dialects.