Significance Testing of the Altaic Family
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
North Caucasian Languages
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC April 2017 Special Edition COMPARISON OF VARIOUS QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF PROXIMITY OF LANGUAGES: NORTH CAUCASIAN LANGUAGES Galeev Timur Ildarovich Kazan federal university (KFU), Kazan, Russia [email protected] Solovyev Valery Dmitrievich Kazan federal university (KFU), Kazan, Russia ABSTRACT A comparison of North Caucasian languages is performed in the article according to various measures of proximity constructed using grammatical, lexical and genetic databases. Statistical methods are applied to the study of correlations among these proximity measures, and also between them and both geographical proximity and genealogical kinship. A full correlation has been found among language kinship, geographic situation and genetic kinship of peoples. Also, a high correlation was found between each of them and lexical similarity. In general these correlations persist at different levels – starting at the whole set of studied languages until the level of the smallest groups of related languages. It is shown that a significant factor in the analysis of geographical situation is the existence of a common boundary between the regions of distribution of languages. Keywords: Various Quantitative Measures, geographical situation common boundary, Creativity, languages 1. INTRODUCTION The classification of languages by genetic kinship, developed in the last two centuries within the framework of historical linguistics applying the comparative historical method, offers a qualitative characteristic of language proximity by including them into macrofamilies, families, branches, groups, etc. Glottochronology provides a quantitative measure of proximity that, in particular, allows assessing the age of families and other language groups. Unfortunately, in many cases there is no consensus among experts about languages kinship; it must be said also that lexicostatistical data are controversial. -
Problems in Assessing the Probability of Language Relatedness
This is a draft paper, building the basic of a talk, presented at The 15th Annual Sergei Starostin Memorial Conference on Comparative-Historical Linguistics (Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, Higher School of Economics, Moscow). Please cite the study as: List, J.-M. (2020): Problems in assessing the probability of language relatedness. Talk, presented at the The 15th Annual Sergei Starostin Memorial Conference on Comparative- Historical Linguistics (Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, Higher School of Economics, Moscow). Draft available at https://lingulist.de/documents/papers/list-2020-proving-relatedness-draft.pdf Problems in Assessing the Probability of Language Relatedness Johann-Mattis List Whether or more languages are genetically related and form a language family whose members all developed from a common source is one of the most frequently debated questions in the field of historical linguistics. In order to avoid being stuck in qualitative arguments about details, scholars have repeatedly tried to establish formal approaches that would allow to assess language relatedness in quantitative or proba- bilistic frameworks. Up to now, however, none of the numerous approaches which have been made so far has been able to convince a critical number of scholars. In this study, I will discuss common problems underlying all current approaches. By empha- sizing that they all fail to provide sufficient estimates with respect to the validity of the test procedure, I will try outline common guidelines and tests that can help in the future development of quantitative approaches to the proof of language relatedness. 1 Introduction Unlike in biology, where it is generally assumed that life on earth has only developed one time in the history of the planet, with all living creatures ultimately going back to a common ancestor, linguists are far more hesitant in assuming that language developed only once, and that all languages spoken on earth go back to the same source. -
Comparative-Historical Linguistics and Lexicostatistics
COMPARATIVE-HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS AND LEXICOSTATISTICS Sergei Starostin COMPARATIVE-HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS AND LEXICOSTATISTICS [This is a translation, done by I. Peiros and N. Evans, of my paper "Sravnitel'no-istoričeskoe jazykoznanie i leksikostatistika", in "Lingvističeskaja rekonstrukcija i drevnejšaja istorija Vostoka", Moscow 1989. I have introduced, however, a number of modifications into the final English text — basically rewritten it again, since the English version needs English examples and etymologies, not Russian ones.] The last two decades have witnessed a fundamental advance in the techniques of comparative linguistic research. A prolonged period of comparative work with a wide range of language families has laid the foundation for the study of genetic relationships between remotely related languages or language groups. The first step in this direction was taken by V.M. Illich-Svitych in his seminal work 'Towards a comparison of the Nostratic languages' in which, with a combination of rigorous methods and intuitive flare, he begins to demonstrate the relatedness of a number of languages of the Old World. This new level of comparative studies appears completely legitimate. In fact, if we take the theory of language divergence as axiomatic, we have to concede the fact that from around the sixth millenium B.C. to the first millenium B.C. there was quite a number of different reconstructable proto-languages throughout the world. Once the level of reconstruction of various proto-languages is improved, the question inevitably arises: are any of these proto-languages genetically related and, if so, can we prove this relationship? To the first part of this question we must now answer in the affirmative. -
Phonetic Comparison, Varieties, and Networks: Swadesh’S Influence Lives on Here Too
Phonetic comparison, varieties, and networks: Swadesh’s influence lives on here too. Jennifer Sullivan and April McMahon, University of Edinburgh Outline of presentation 1) The perhaps unexpected relevance of Swadesh here 2) Small-scale comparison of methods measuring phonetic similarity among English/Germanic varieties 3) Implications of results for how we measure phonetic similarity in a synchronic context 4) Begin to tackle question of Chance Phonetic Similarity Swadesh’s Legacy Lexicon: Ubiquitous Phonetics: Papers on 100/200 word lists of basic English varieties and other vocabulary languages Measurement of Language Lexicostatistics and Distance Glottochronology equally (Lexicostatistics) applied by Swadesh to Varieties Threshold scores from these Estimation of dates of Language splits techniques for separating Languages from Varieties (Glottochronology) (Swadesh 1950, 1972) Swadesh’s Insights Swadesh did not quantify phonetic similarity in the manner of Lexicostatistics but interested in English variety vowel variability (1947) and explores isogloss tradition (1972: 16). “Mesh principle” (1972: 285-92) argues against ignoring dialect gradation and always assuming clear treelike splits. Broached the issue of chance in assessing whether languages were related or not. Lexicostatistics Cognacy Score 1,0 ‘Phonostatistics’ (within cognates) Phonetic identity score 1,0 Edit Distance (Whole phone) Graded phonetic measurements Phonetic feature methods Swadesh 100 list Swadesh 200 list Gmc Cognates only cold five brother eye four daughter foot ice eight heart mother holy horn right home long three nine mouth north one over two six white seven storm 30 word subset swear (McMahon et al 2005-07) ten word Phonetic comparison in Varieties 2 Languages: English, German (Hochdeutsch) 4 Varieties of English: Std American, RP, Std Scottish, Buckie Questions Convergence problem e.g. -
Time Depth in Historical Linguistics”, Edited by Colin Renfrew, April
Time Depth 1 Review of “Time Depth in Historical Linguistics”, edited by Colin Renfrew, April McMahon, and Larry Trask Brett Kessler Washington University in St. Louis Brett Kessler Psychology Department Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1125 One Brookings Drive St. Louis MO 63130-4899 USA Email: [email protected] FAX: 1-314-935-7588 Time Depth 2 Review of “Time Depth in Historical Linguistics”, edited by Colin Renfrew, April McMahon, and Larry Trask Time depth in historical linguistics. Ed. by Colin Renfrew, April McMahon, and Larry Trask. (Papers in the prehistory of languages.) Cambridge, England: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2000. Distributed by Oxbow Books. 2 vol. (xiv, 681 p.) paperback, 50 GBP. http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/Publications/Time-depth.htm This is a collection of 27 papers, mostly presentations at a symposium held at the McDonald Institute in 1999. Contributions focus on two related issues: methods for establishing absolute chronology, and linguistic knowledge about the remote past. Most papers are restatements of the authors’ well-known theories, but many contain innovations, and some do describe new work. The ideological balance of the collection feels just left of center. We do not find here wild multilateral phantasms, reconstructions of Proto-World vocabulary, or idylls about pre-Indo-European matriarchal society. Or not much. These are mostly sober academics pushing the envelope in attempts to reason under extreme uncertainty. One of the recurrent themes was that the development of agriculture may drive the expansion of language families and therefore imply a date for the protolanguage. Colin Renfrew describes his idea that that is what happened in the case of Indo-European (IE): PIE was introduced into Europe at an early date, perhaps 8,000 BC. -
"Evolution of Human Languages": Current State of Affairs
«Evolution of Human Languages»: current state of affairs (03.2014) Contents: I. Currently active members of the project . 2 II. Linguistic experts associated with the project . 4 III. General description of EHL's goals and major lines of research . 6 IV. Up-to-date results / achievements of EHL research . 9 V. A concise list of actual problems and tasks for future resolution. 18 VI. EHL resources and links . 20 2 I. Currently active members of the project. Primary affiliation: Senior researcher, Center for Comparative Studies, Russian State University for the Humanities (Moscow). Web info: http://ivka.rsuh.ru/article.html?id=80197 George Publications: http://rggu.academia.edu/GeorgeStarostin Starostin Research interests: Methodology of historical linguistics; long- vs. short-range linguistic comparison; history and classification of African languages; history of the Chinese language; comparative and historical linguistics of various language families (Indo-European, Altaic, Yeniseian, Dravidian, etc.). Primary affiliation: Visiting researcher, Santa Fe Institute. Formerly, professor of linguistics at the University of Melbourne. Ilia Publications: http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/lccn-n97-4759 Research interests: Genetic and areal language relationships in Southeast Asia; Peiros history and classification of Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian, Austroasiatic languages; macro- and micro-families of the Americas; methodology of historical linguistics. Primary affiliation: Senior researcher, Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow / Novosibirsk). Web info / publications list (in Russian): Sergei http://www.inslav.ru/index.php?option- Nikolayev =com_content&view=article&id=358:2010-06-09-18-14-01 Research interests: Comparative Indo-European and Slavic studies; internal and external genetic relations of North Caucasian languages; internal and external genetic relations of North American languages (Na-Dene; Algic; Mosan). -
Beyond Lumping and Splitting: Probabilistic Issues in Historical Linguistics William H
Beyond lumping and splitting: probabilistic issues in historical linguistics William H. Baxter Alexis Manaster Ramer Symposium on Time Depth in Historical Linguistics, 19–22 August 1999 McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge 1. Introduction Unlike synchronic linguists, who can ask their consultants for additional data and examples, historical linguists are, for the most part, stuck with the data we have. Only rarely are we able to add to the corpus of available texts, or find additional examples of a rare combination of phonemes. The problems of historical linguistics are thus inherently probabilistic: we must constantly decide whether perceived patterns in our data are significant or simply due to chance. Actually, this is true at any time depth; but the importance of probabilistic issues is especially clear when considering possible remote linguistic relationships. Unfortunately, the traditions of historical linguistics equip us poorly to handle these prob- abilistic issues. Our discipline had already achieved impressive scientific results in the nineteenth century, before modern significance-testing procedures were developed. Lacking reliable techniques for extracting maximal information from minimal data, and having plenty of other things to do, historical linguists have tended to focus on problems where meaningful results seemed assured, and have avoided investing time in riskier endeavours. Though the inherent interest and seductive appeal of the remote linguistic past are undeniable, pushing back the frontiers of time has generally not been a high priority for those actually working in historical linguistics. In this paper, we argue that the temporal reach of historical linguistics can probably be extended significantly in some cases, but only if the probabilistic issues are faced squarely, and new techniques of handling them are developed and widely understood. -
Divergence of Altai Macro System Languages and Issues of Their Genetic Relationship O. Sapashev* A. Smailova** B. Zhaksymov
Türkbilig, 2016/31: 109-126. DIVERGENCE OF ALTAI MACRO SYSTEM LANGUAGES AND ISSUES OF THEIR GENETIC RELATIONSHIP O. SAPASHEV* A. SMAILOVA** B. ZHAKSYMOV*** Abstract: Scientists recognize the difficulties associated with final and perfect solution of the problem of origin of the Altai community. The most important issue according to their opinion is a difficulty in differentiation of elements of a possible genetic commonality, the traces of which can be found in all Altaic languages, from the secondary elements of community, developing in different periods of close contacts of various Altaic peoples for at least of two millennia period. Mutual lexical borrowings of not only from single Altaic languages, but also borrowings from non-Altaic languages (the phenomenon of the substrate or super stratum) led to a significant lexical generality of secondary order and gave the reasons for establishment of various kinds of correspondences not relating to common Altaic protolanguage heritage that creates a large difficult to apply comparative- historical method. Keywords: Altaic, macro-system, genetic kinship, language typology, the rudiments Altay Makro Sistemi Dillerinin Farklılıkları ve Onların Genetik İlişkilerine Dair Konular Özet: Altayistik çalışan araştırmacıları, Altay toplumun kökeni sorununun nihai ve mükemmel bir çözümüyle ilişkili olan zorluklar bekler. Araştırmacıların görüşüne göre en önemli konu, olası genetik ortaklık unsurlarının ve Altay dillerinde bulunabilecek izlerin farklılaşması zorluğudur. Bu zorluklar, toplumun ikincil unsurlarından kaynaklanır ve farklı zamanlarda çeşitli Altay topluluklarının en az iki bin yıllık yakın ilişkiler sonucu gelişmiştir. Sadece Altay dilleri ve Altay dilleri dışındaki dillerden karşılıklı sözcük alışverişi (altkatman ve üstkatman olgusu) ikincil seviyede önemli sözcüksel genellemeler ortaya çıkardı ve tarihi-karşılaştırmalı metodun uygulanmasını zorlaştıran ortak proto Altay dil mirasıyla ilgili olmayan bir yapının oluşmasına neden oldu. -
Japanese As an Altaic Language: an Investigation of Japanese Genetic Affiliation Through Biological Findings
JAPANESE AS AN ALTAIC LANGUAGE: AN INVESTIGATION OF JAPANESE GENETIC AFFILIATION THROUGH BIOLOGICAL FINDINGS Yuko Igarashi Department of Linguistics University of Victoria, B.C., Canada 1. INTRODUCTION Japanese is one of the language isolates (Shibatani, 1990). In the 18 th century, however, Sir William Jones hypothesized all languages in the world are derived from a single mother tongue; thus they are genetically related to others (Lamb & Mitchell, 1991). Led by this hypothesis, scholars have engaged in comparing languages systematically to observe their genetic affiliations through the linguistic correspondences between them (Crystal, 1997). The genetic classification of languages in Europe was successfully achieved by their efforts; in addition, they have thought that the methods used to establish the Indo-European language family can be applied to the categorization of other languages (Crystal, 1997; Lehmann, 1992). Based on this hypothesis, scholars have been searching for the genetic affiliation of Japanese for more than a century (Miller, 1991; Vovin, 1994); however, they have not reached any agreement yet. Fujiwara and Ono compared Japanese to Dravidian languages (Martin, 1991). Maruyama researched the possibility of Japanese genetic affiliation to Ma1ayo-PolYnesian (Martin, 1991). Benedict attempted to find evidence for a genetic relationship between Japanese and the Austro-Tai language family (Vovin, 1994). Some scholars such as Chew (1976) and Martin (1996) have explored Japanese genetic affiliation to Korean because they think Japanese is structurally close to Korean. Korean is considered to be another language isolate (Shibatani, 1990); however, Poppe (1965) is of the opinion that Korean may be an Altaic language because it is structurally similar to Japanese and to Altaic and because many of its vocabularies have been successfully compared with Altaic languages. -
On Using Qualitative Lexicostatistics to Illuminate Language History: Some Case Studies
Swadesh Centenary Conference, 17-18 January 2009, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig. On using qualitative lexicostatistics to illuminate language history: some case studies. Anthony P. Grant. Abstract: Following certain aspects of the work on lexicostatistics carried out in the 1960s (Hooley 1971, Miller et al 1971, Miller 1984), and thereby working in a tradition which has been practised by Don Ringe, Tandy Warnow and others (Ringe et al, 1997, 2001), I maintain that much of lasting value can be learned about linguistic interrelationships by using techniques developed in work on qualitative (rather than merely quantitative) lexicostatistics. 1. Introduction. Lexicostatistics has been invented and reinvented several times since the early 19th century, but the present understanding of the technique dates from Morris Swadesh’s work of the 1950s, especially Swadesh (1950) and the papers that followed this (Swadesh 1954 and 1955 are especially of ote here.).1 Most work on lexicostatistics has concentrated on examining pairs of languages, and sets of pairs of languages, and on putting the results of these pairwise comparisons in matrices. In this paper I suggest with evidence from case-studies from around the world that a more illuminating approach to lexicostatistics from a diachronic point of view can be gained by examining cognate sets (and also isolated or ‘unique’) forms for each gloss within a cognacy grid. The use of this technique enables one to identify probable cases of shared lexical innovation between two or more languages. Each etymological stratum of a language, even those strata comprising words of unidentified origin, has its own different significance within the history of a language, and techniques of analysis of such morphemes that can be applied to one language can often be applied to many or most. -
Lexicostatistics Applied to the Historical Development of Three Languages of the Philippines
Deseret Language and Linguistic Society Symposium Volume 27 Issue 1 Article 7 3-23-2001 Lexicostatistics Applied to the Historical Development of Three Languages of the Philippines Hans Nelson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/dlls BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Nelson, Hans (2001) "Lexicostatistics Applied to the Historical Development of Three Languages of the Philippines," Deseret Language and Linguistic Society Symposium: Vol. 27 : Iss. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/dlls/vol27/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Deseret Language and Linguistic Society Symposium by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Lexicostatistics Applied to the Historical Development of Three Languages of the Philippines Hans Nelson or years, historical linguists have able for analysis. Thus the lexicostatistic . attempted to classify language family approach is useful for an analysis of the Frelationships using a variety of meth languages among the islanders of the ods. One such method is lexicostatistics. Philippines, an area only about the size of "Lexicostatistics ... is a technique that allows New Mexico, with roughly eighty-five to one us to determine the degree of relationship hundred known languages. The approach between two languages by comparing the could be effective for at least roughly catego vocabularies of the languages and determin rizing and subgrouping these variants. ing the degree of similarity between them" This paper will use lexicostatistics to look (Crowley 1998, 171). -
Nostratic Dictionary by Aharon Dolgopolsky Foreword
Foreword Nostratic Dictionary by Aharon Dolgopolsky Foreword To the blessed memory of the great scholars and my dear friends Vladislav Illich-Svitych (1934–1966) and Sergey Starostin (1953–2005) Foreword Foreword Aharon Dolgopolsky This dictionary is a preliminary one. Critical extent. The same applies to the Encyclopedia of remarks of scholars and further research will bring Indo-European Culture, edited by J.P. Mallory & about modifications and more exact etymologies. D.Q. Adams (L./Chic. 1997), which is extremely Therefore I appeal to my colleagues and experts in valuable for its lexical and grammatical entries different fields of comparative linguistics to submit (which are not connected with Mallory”s their critical remarks (both in their papers and in incorrect conception about the homeland personal messages) that will be helpful in checking and early migrations of the Indo-Europeans and improving the etymologies. [Gimbutas”s theory of Ponto-Caspian steppes Today the pace of development in our field of as the homeland that is at variance with obvious science is rapid; therefore at the very moment of linguistic facts: cf. AD IEH, AD CCIE and AD its publication this dictionary (like any other study MAIEH; on the archaeological aspects of the of this kind) is already out of date. Thus is due to problem see Rnf. AL]). The second volume several reasons: of Indo-European and its Closest Relatives by J. 1. Some extremely important studies in etymology Greenberg reached me in July 2002, when the are still in preparation or in print. The recently text of my dictionary was ready.