Al-FARABI KAZAKH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Areal Linguistics

(Linguistic Geography)

Ongarbaeva Meruyert Foreign Philology Master’s Degree Almaty, 2013

Plan Of The Theme:

1-Types of Classifications of Languages2-Defintion of the term “Areal Linguitics”3-Objectives of “Areal Linguitics”4-Linguistic Geography and Scientists5-Main notions of “Areal Linguitics”6-Balcanic “Sprachbund”7-Investigation of Balcanic “Sprachbund”on the map.8-Common grammatical features ofBalcanic Sprachbund Languages.

Types of Classifications of World Languages

(On the basis of Comparativism)

Genealogical classification

Tree, family, branch, group,

comparative historical method

Areal Classification

1-Area 2-Zone

3-Language contacts

4-“Sprachbund”

5-Isoglosses 6-Dialect

area 7-

Convergence,

Divergence

8-AdstratSuperstra

tum, Substrate

Typological(Morphological) Classification

Types,Classes,Structure

Areal linguistics - is a branch of linguistics that studies (using the methods of linguistic geography )distribution of linguistic phenomena in the spatial extent and

interlingual (interdialectic) interaction.Linguistic geography appeared in 70-80 years of 19th century, When there were revealed

facts of different boundaries of linguistic phenomena. In 1876 in Germany G.Venner began collecting material for making linguistic atlas of German language.In France

Zh.Zhileronom and E.Edmonom created "Linguistic Atlas of France," which had a great influence on the development of Romanesque and European linguistic geography. There

were published atlases of Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Romania,The term "spatial / areal linguistics" was first introduced by MJ Bartoli and J. Vidossi,

but the principles were developed by Bartoli in 1925. Areal linguistics is closely linked to linguistic geography and dialectology. And it comes from the Dialectology. In the USSR

there were “linguistic Atlases” of nation`s languages.

The concept of language union first clearly formulated by N.S Troubetzkoy in "The

Tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues" in 1923. To define this notion, he suggested the German term "Sprachbund",

which in many other languages used without translation.

History of the development of an Areal Linguistics

I-Its main Aim - to determine the area of language (or dialect) within the boarders of its linguistic features.

II-The main research Methods are linguageographical method(displaying of linguistic phenomena on the map) or areal (isoglossive) method . The studies identify the regions (areas) the interaction of dialects, languages, and areal communities – “sprachbunds” sharing common structural features.

III-The Object of Areal linguistics is territorial distribution of languages and linguistic phenomena.

IV-The Subject of Modern Areal linguistics are general linguistic problems: Division of proto-language states at historically attested languages and dialect continuum; Giving areal characteristic features of the interacting languages and dialects of certain

region; Finding regularities of language contacts; Development of areal typology principles, setting a theory of language interaction (theory

of sprachbund); Defining the role of substrates in the area of contacts; The study of language interference in geographically contiguous languages; Development of ethno-linguistic and socio-linguistic typology for geographically

contiguous languages.

Subject, Object, Aim and Methods of Areal Linguistics

1-”Sprachbund” (From German -"federation of languages")

2-Dialects (ancient Greek word  diálektos-"discourse“/diá-"through" +  legō- "I speak")

3-Isogloss (ancient Greek ísos- "equal, similar" and glōssa- "tongue, dialect, language")

4-Convergences( from Latin"converge" –come closer)

5-Divergences (latin ”divergere” -go in different directions)

Is the geographical boundary of a

certain linguistic feature, such as the pronunciation of a vowel, the meaning of a word, or use of some syntactic feature.

Coincidence of two or more linguistic entities.

(Glottonic C. ors tructural-diachronic C.)

Is a group of languages that have become similar in some way because of geographical proximity and language contact.

A regional or social variety of a language

distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a variety of speech differing from the standard literary language of a particular group.

1)The phonologization of the variants of a phoneme in connection with the elimination of the positional conditions that initially determined the given variation. 2) The positional change of sounds

3) Linguistic evolution, when certain dialects became isolated and form independent languages.

GLOSSARY

1-”Sprachbund” (From German -"federation of languages")

2-Dialects (ancient Greek word  diálektos-"discourse“/diá-"through" +  legō- "I speak")

3-Isogloss (ancient Greek ísos- "equal, similar" and glōssa- "tongue, dialect, language")

4-Convergences( from Latin"converge" –come closer)

5-Divergences (latin ”divergere” -go in different directions)

Is a group of languages that have become similar

in some way because of geographical proximity and language contact.

A regional or social variety of a language

distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a variety of speech differing from the standard literary language of a particular group.

Is the geographical boundary of a certain linguistic feature, such as the pronunciation of a vowel, the meaning of a word, or use of some syntactic feature.

Coincidence of two or more linguistic entities.(Glottonic C. ors tructural-diachronic C.)

1)The phonologization of the variants of a phoneme in connection with the elimination of the positional conditions that initially determined the given variation. 2) The positional change of sounds

3) Linguistic evolution, when certain dialects became isolated and form independent languages.

04/12/2023

MAP OF ISOGLOSSES

Infl

6-Adstratum(from Latin. ad - near, and stratum -layer) linguistic phenomenon, explained by the result of the influence of one language to another in a prolonged contact of neighboring nations, where there is no assimilation and dissolution of one language into another. For example:Belarusian-Polish and Belarusian-Lithuanian or Turkish Adstrat in Balcanic lang.-es.

Indigenous population

Indigenous population

7-Superstratum-(from Latin. “supersternere“- to spread upon) influence of the alien language on the native language as a result of conquest. For example elements of German (Frankish, Burgundian) superstratum in French. Word “France” is a S.

Indigenous population

ConquerorLanguage

8-Substrate-(“substratum”-to spread underneath)- Impact of indigenous languages on the foreign language, as a result of cultural dominance, etc. People switch to the tradition of another language, but in the new language occur features of missing language. In Balcanic “Sprachbund” (Thracian substrate in Romanian and Albanian lang.-es)

Indigenous population

ConquerorLanguage

Terms

Balcanic “Sprachbund”

Grammatical similarities between (having no genetic relationship) Balkan languages was first discovered in 1829 by Slovenian linguist Jerne Kopitar. The ”Balkan sprachbund” or language area is a group (union)in Areal linguistics—similarity in grammar, syntax, vocabulary and phonology—among the languages of the Balkans. There is a special linguistics discipline Balcanistics (In Saint-Petersburg).The languages that share these similarities belong to five distinct branches of the Indo-European languages:Albanian Hellenic=Greek Romance languages (Romanian)Slavic Languages (Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian) Indo-Aryan(Gypsy)Most likely the earliest contact was between the Proto-Romanians and Proto-Albanians, (1st century - 5th century AD) this theory being supported by the Albanian vocabulary borrowed from Balkan Latin, as well as the Romanian substrate, which has words cognate to Albanian words.

Common features for most Balkan languages :1-There is no Dative case;2-Lack or limited use of the infinitive;3-Formation of the analytic form of the future tense with the auxiliary verb (or particle, which arose from the verb), who had the original meaning "want";4-A number of common phenomena in phonetics and phonology;5-A heavy amount of lexical layers (common words from Albanian, Roman, Slavic, Greek, Turkish origin).

Balcanic sprachbund

Pic.1 Central Balkan Region Pic.2 Balkan “Sprachbund”

Maps

This example translates in the Balkan languages the phrase "You should go!", using the subjunctive constructions.

language example notes

Macedonian Да (си) одиш! "Оди" [odi] in the imperative is more common, and has the identical meaning.

Bulgarian Да си ходиш!

Serbo-Croatian Да идеш! "Иди!" in the imperative is grammatically correct, and has the identical meaning.

Albanian Të shkosh! "Shko!" in the imperative is grammatically correct. "Të shkosh" is used in sentence only followed by a modal verbs, ex. in these cases: Ti duhet të shkosh (You should go), Ti mund të shkosh (You can go) etc.

Modern Greek Να πας!

Romany (Gypsy) Te dža! Compare with similar Spanish "¡Que te largues!"in Romanian, the "a se duce" (to go) requires a reflexive construction, literally "take yourself (to)"

Romanian Să te duci!

Thank you for your attention!!!!

Thank you for your attention!!!