Details

Subject(s)

• Semitic languages—History [Browse]
• Semitic languages—Classification [Browse]

Summary note

This volume is the first of its kind to offer a detailed, monographic treatment of Semitic genealogical classification. The introduction describes the author's methodological framework and surveys the history of the subgrouping discussion in Semitic linguistics, and the first chapter provides a detailed description of the proto-Semitic basic vocabulary. Each of its seven main chapters deals with one of the key issues of the Semitic subgrouping debate: the East/West dichotomy, the Central Semitic hypothesis, the North West Semitic subgroup, the Canaanite affiliation of Ugaritic, the historical unity of Aramaic, and the diagnostic features of Ethiopian Semitic and of Modern South Arabian. The book aims at a balanced account of all evidence pertinent to the subgrouping discussion, but its main focus is on the diagnostic lexical features, heavily neglected in the majority of earlier studies dealing with this subject. The author tries to assess the subgrouping potential of the vocabulary using various methods of its diachronic stratification. The hundreds of etymological comparisons given throughout the book can be conveniently accessed through detailed lexical indices.

Notes

Description based upon print version of record.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Source of description

Description based on print version record.

Language note

English

Contents

• Front matter
• Preface
• Contents
• Introduction. Genealogical classification of Semitic and the role of lexical isoglosses
• Chapter 1. The basic vocabulary of Proto-Semitic: form and meaning
• Chapter 2. Historical unity and internal division of West Semitic as reflected in the basic vocabulary
• Chapter 3. Lexical isoglosses and the Central Semitic hypothesis
• Chapter 4. North-West Semitic as a genealogical unity: grammar and lexicon
• Chapter 5. Lexical isoglosses and the genealogical position of Ugaritic
• Chapter 6. From Old to Modern Aramaic: the historical unity of Aramaic as reflected in the basic vocabulary
• Chapter 7. Lexical isoglosses and the historical unity of Ethiopian Semitic
• Chapter 8. Modern South Arabian as a genealogical subgroup: the lexical dimension
• Conclusions
• References
• Abbreviations of lexicographic and grammatical tools
• Abbreviations of language names
• Lexical Index

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ISBN

• 1-61451-921-8
• 1-61451-549-2

OCLC

• 912323208
• 911608613

Doi

• 10.1515/9781614515494

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