Editing Metathesis (linguistics) (section)

===Slavic languages===
{{Main|Slavic liquid metathesis and pleophony}}

Metathesis of [[liquid consonant]]s is an important historical change during the development of the [[Slavic languages]]: a syllable-final liquid (*''r'' or *''l''), always preceded by a short vowel (*''e'' or *''o''), metathesized to become syllable-initial. However, the exact outcome of the change varies across the different Slavic languages.

A number of [[Proto-Indo-European]] roots indicate metathesis in Slavic forms when compared with other [[Indo-European languages]]:

{| class="wikitable"
! PIE !! non-Slavic reflexes !! Proto-Slavic !! Slavic reflexes
|-
| {{wikt-lang|ine-pro|*ǵʰortós}} || English {{wikt-lang|en|garden}}, Latin {{wikt-lang|la|hortus}}, Lithuanian {{wikt-lang|lt|gar̃das}} || {{wikt-lang|sla-pro|*''gȏrdъ''}} || Old Church Slavonic {{wikt-lang|cu|''градъ''}} (''gradŭ''), Czech {{wikt-lang|cs|hrad}}, Polish {{wikt-lang|pl|gród}}, Kashubian {{wikt-lang|csb|gard}}, Russian {{wikt-lang|ru|''го́род''}} (''górod''), Serbo-Croatian {{wikt-lang|sh|grȃd}}
|-
| {{wikt-lang|ine-pro|''*h₂melǵ-''}} || English {{wikt-lang|en|milk}}, Lithuanian {{wikt-lang|lt|melžti}} || {{wikt-lang|sla-pro|''*melko̍''}} || Old Church Slavonic {{wikt-lang|cu|''млѣко''}} (''mlěko''), Czech {{wikt-lang|cs|mléko}}, Polish {{wikt-lang|pl|mleko}}, Russian {{wikt-lang|ru|''молокó''}} (''molokó''), Serbo-Croatian {{wikt-lang|sh|mlijéko}} or {{wikt-lang|sh|mléko}}
|-
| {{wikt-lang|ine-pro|''*h₂ermos''}} ({{wikt-lang|ine-pro|*h₂er-}}) || English {{wikt-lang|en|arm}} || {{wikt-lang|sla-pro|''*őrmę''}} || Old Church Slavonic {{wikt-lang|cu|''рамо''}} (''ramo''), Czech {{wikt-lang|cs|rameno}}, Polish {{wikt-lang|pl|ramię}}, Russian {{wikt-lang|ru|''ра́мя''}} (''rámja''), Serbo-Croatian {{wikt-lang|sh|rȁme}}
|}

Metathesis also occurred sporadically in individual Slavic languages:

* Ukrainian {{wikt-lang|uk|''ведмі́дь''}} (''vedmíd'') < Proto-Slavic {{wikt-lang|sla-pro|*''medvě̋dь''}}

* Slovak {{wikt-lang|sk|hmla}}, Ukrainian {{wikt-lang|uk|''імла́''}} (''imlá'') < Proto-Slavic {{wikt-lang|sla-pro|*''mьgla̍''}}

* Serbo-Croatian {{wikt-lang|sh|sȁv}} < {{wikt-lang|sh|vȁs}} < Proto-Slavic {{wikt-lang|sla-pro|*''vьśь''}}