Proto-Slavic is the
proto-language from which
Slavic languages later emerged. It was spoken before the seventh century. As with all other proto-languages, no attested writings have been found; the language has been reconstructed by applying the
comparative method to all the attested Slavic languages as well as other
Indo-European languages.
The most favoured model, the Kurgan hypothesis, currently places the Urheimat of the proto-Indo-European people at the Pontic steppe, represented archaeologically by the 5th millennium BCE Sredny Stog culture.[1] From here, various daughter dialects dispersed radially in several waves between circa 4400 BCE and 3000 BCE.[1] The phonological changes which set Balto-Slavic apart from other Indo-European languages probably lasted from circa 3000 to 1000 BCE, a period known as common proto-Balto-Slavic.[2] Kortlandt (1990) links the earliest stages of Balto-Slavic development with the Middle Dnieper culture which connects the Corded Ware and Yamna cultures. Kurganists connect the latter two cultures with the so-called "Northwest (IE) group"[3] and the Iranic-speaking steppe nomads, respectively. This fits with the linguistic evidence in that Balto-Slavic appears to have had close contacts with proto-Germanic and Indo-Aryan. An association between Balto-Slavic and Germanic has been proposed on the basis of lexical similarities that are unique to these languages.[3] Apart from a proposed genetic relationship (PIE forming a Germano-Balto-Slavic sub-branch),[4] the similarities are likely due to continuous contacts, whereby common loan words spread through the communities in the forest zones at an early time of their linguistic development.[3] Similarly, Balto-Slavic and Indo-Aryan might have formed some kind of continuum from the north-west to the south-east given that they share both satemization and the Ruki sound law.[3]
Balto-Slavic then expanded along the forest zone, replacing earlier centum dialects, such as pre-proto-Germanic.[5] This might explain the presence of a few prehistoric centum sub-stratic lexicons.[6] A pre-Slavic period began circa 1500 to 1000 BCE, whereby certain phonological changes and linguistic contacts did not disperse evenly through all Balto-Slavic dialects. The development into proto-Slavic probably occurred along the southern periphery of the proto-Balto-Slavic continuum. The most archaic Slavic hydronyms are found here, along the middle Dnieper, Pripet and upper Dniester rivers. This agrees well with the fact that inherited Common Slavic vocabulary does not include detailed terminology for physical surface features peculiar of the mountains or the steppe, nor any relating to the sea, to coastal features, littoral flora or fauna, or salt water fishes. On the other hand, it does include well-developed terminology for inland bodies of water (lakes, river, swamps) and kinds of forest (deciduous and coniferous), for the trees, plants, animals and birds indigenous to the temperate forest zone, and for the fish native to its waters.[7] Indeed, Trubachev argues that this location fostered contacts between speakers of pre-proto-Slavic with the cultural innovations which emanated from central Europe and the steppe.[8] Although language groups cannot be straightforwardly equated with archaeological cultures, the emergence of a pre-proto-Slavic linguistic community corresponds temporally and geographically with the Kamarov and Chernoles cultures (Novotna, Blazek). Both linguists and archaeologists therefore often locate the Slavic Urhiemat specifically within this area.
In proto-historical times, the Slavic homeland experienced intrusions of foreign elements. Beginning from circa 500 BCE to 200 CE, the Scythians and then the Sarmatians expanded their control into the forest steppe. A few Iranian loan words, especially relating to religious and cultural practices, have been seen as evidence of cultural influences.[9] Subsequently, loan words of Germanic origin also appear. This is connected to the movement of east Germanic groups into the Vistula basin, and subsequently to the middle Dnieper basin, associated with the appearance of the Przeworsk and Chernyakhov cultures, respectively.
