Home UK English satem

Meaning of satem in English:

satem

(also sat?m)

Pronunciation /?sɑ?t?m/ /?sat?m/ /?se?t?m/

noun

Linguistics

  • Attributive Designating a group of chiefly eastern Indo-European languages having sibilants (as in Avestan sat?m) where cognate words in the western group have (voiceless) velar plosives; relating to or characteristic of this group. Contrasted with centum .

    It is disputed whether the centrum–satem division reflects a dialectal split in early Indo-European.

Origin

Late 19th century; earliest use found in Classical Review. From German Satem, denoting a group of languages from Avestan sat?m hundred, chosen as an example of a word reflecting the distinctive phonological feature of this group of languages.