Remarks on the Changes of Consonantism in Pannonian Latinity as Evidenced by the Inscriptions

It is a well-known fact that in contrast to the vocalism the system of consonants of Vulgar Latin suffered only a few isolated and peripheral developments early enough for them to be reflected over the Romance world. The main systematic reorganization of the consonants happened comparatively late and was not the same in all Romance regions (cf. Herman 2000, 38). The changes of the consonant clusters, especially simplification or palatalization, however, appear in the cons. + [j], otherwise well attested in several provinces of the Empire (cf. Fehér 2004). But 3rd and 4th centuries, even if not totally uniformly, in the sources, among them on the inscriptions. According to a recently published study the Pannonian inscriptions hardly reflect the changes of the consonant clusters, especially of considering and revising the results and the data collected by former researchers on the one hand resp. my data collection on the epigraphic material published recently (RIU 1-6, TRH etc.), the probable conclusion can be drawn that the Latin language in Pannonia as reflected in the inscriptions has to be considered innovative rather than conservative concerning the changes of the consonant clusters.