Proto-Southern Alapetek language

Proto-Southern Alapetek (or Alapetic; often abbreviated to PSA) is the hypothetical reconstructed ancestral language of the Southern Alapetek languages. It was spoken around 4000–5000 years ago by nomadic peoples who migrated southeast over the Alapetek Steppe into modern-day Koxor and Ghazva. Descended from the original Proto-Alapetek language, PSA was most likely spoken in modern-day eastern Koxor, and diverged into four main branches: Koxoric, Ghazvaic, Ilun and Steppe Alapetek.

Historically, reconstructions of Proto-Southern Alapetek have mostly relied on comparisons between the ancient liturgical languages of the Khorensi church - Old Ghazvan from the Ghazvaic branch, Old Koxori and High Ankhulenian from the Koxoric branch, and the Tugrite language, which formed its own now-extinct branch. Nowadays, a wider variety of languages are included for more accurate reconstruction, such as Hethalan from the Ilun branch and Metesin from the Steppe languages. It is generally accepted that the Ilun languages separated first from the rest of the family, as they are the most distinct.

Vowels
Most reconstructions give PSA a three-vowel system, reduced from the five vowels of its ancestor Proto-Alapetek. Meanwhile, PSA developed a length distinction and numerous diphthongs that were not present in Proto-Alapetek.