Weiter zum Inhalt

On the Internal Classification of Ethiosemitic


Seiten 93 - 124

DOI https://doi.org/10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.168.1.0093




The interrelation and internal classification of Ethiosemitic languages is still a controversial matter. Recently, Hudson (2013) proposed a new classification of Ethiosemitic by adjusting Hetzron's (1972) canonical model through lexicostatistics. Although Hudson (2013) is a promising and timely attempt to the internal classification of Ethiosemitic, it contains several methodological drawbacks that make its conclusions unreliable. The present paper won't present another classification, but critically reflects on three central methodological issues in Hudson's lexicostatistic analysis, which I consider to be of general interest for further studies on the genetic classification of Ethiosemitic, namely (i) the inconclusiveness of mutual intelligibility as a criteria to distinguish between dialect and language, (ii) common pitfalls in the composition of a wordlist used for lexicostatistic comparison, and (iii) imprecise cognacy judgments.

Paris

1 Ahland, C. 2003: Interlectal intelligibility between Gurage speech varieties. Paper presented at the 31st annual meeting of the North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics. Nashville.

2 Ahland, M. B. 2010: Language death in Mesmes: a sociolinguistic and historical-comparative examination of a disappearing language. Dallas, Tex.

3 Appleyard, D. 1979: “A statistical survey of the Amharic lexicon.” In: JSS 24, pp. 71–97.

4 Appleyard, D. 1996: “Ethiopian Semitic and South Arabian: towards a re-examination of a relationship.” In: Israel Oriental Studies 16, pp. 203–228.

5 Bender, M. L. 1971: “The languages of Ethiopia: a new lexicostatistic classification and some problems of diffusion.” In: Anthropological Linguistics 13(5), pp. 165–288.

6 Bender, M. L. 1986: “Lexical retention in Ethio-Semitic: checking up on a myth.” In: J. A. Fishman / A. Tabouret-Keller / M. Clyne (eds.): The Fergusonian impact: in honor of Charles A. Ferguson on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Vol. 1: From phonology to society. Berlin, pp. 291–299.

7 Bennett, P. R. 1998: Comparative Semitic linguistics: a manual. Winona Lake, Ind.

8 Bulakh, M. / L. Kogan 2010: “The genealogical position of Tigre and the problem of North Ethio-Semitic unity.” In: ZDMG 160, pp. 273–302.

9 Bulakh, M. / L. Kogan 2014: “More on genealogical classification of Ethiopian Semitic.” In: Babel und Bibel 7, pp. 599–608.

10 Cohen, D. 1961: “Le vocabulaire de base sémitique et le classement des dialectes méridionaux (matériaux pour un premier essai de glottochronologie).” In: Semitica 11, pp. 53–84.

11 Diakonoff, I. 1988: Afrasian languages. Moscow.

12 Diakonoff, I. 1998: “The earliest Semitic society: linguistic data.” In: JSS 43(3), pp. 209–219.

13 Dimmendaal, G. J. 2017: “A note on the spreading of Afroasiatic.” In: R. M. Voigt (ed.): 5000 Jahre Semitiohamitistik. Aachen, pp. 3–11 (to appear).

14 Elias, D. L. 2005: Tigre of Habab: short grammar and texts from the Rigbat people. Cambridge, Mass. (Harvard University, PhD Dissertation).

15 Endalew Assefa 2014: Descriptive grammar of Ezha, a Central West Gurage language. Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa University, PhD Dissertation).

16 Faber, A. 1997: “Genetic subgrouping of the Semitic languages.” In: R. Hetzron (ed.): The Semitic languages. London, pp. 3–15.

17 Fekede Menuta 2015: Intergroup communication among Gurage: a study on intelligibility, inter-lingual comprehension and accommodation. Saarbrücken.

18 Fekede Menuta / R. Meyer 2015: “Sonorant alternations in Muher.” In: L. Edzard (ed.): Festschrift for Jan Retsö: Arabic and Semitic linguistics contextualized. Wiesbaden, pp. 531–553.

19 Fleming, H. C. 1968: “Ethiopic language history: testing linguistic hypotheses in an archaeological and documentary context.” In: Ethnohistory 15(4), pp. 353–388.

20 Frajzyngier, Z. 2012: “Typological outline of the Afroasiatic phylum.” In: Z. Frajzyngier/E. Shay (eds.): The Afroasiatic languages. Cambridge, pp. 505–624.

21 Getatchew Haile 1970: “Archaic Amharic forms.” In: R. Pankhurst / S. Chojnacki (eds.): Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa, April 3–7, 1966. Addis Ababa, pp. 61–80.

22 Getu Shikur 2012: The socio-cultural milieu, language use, language attitude, and ethnolinguistic identity in Mesqan. Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa University, PhD Dissertation).

23 Girma Awgichew Demeke 2013: Amharic-Argobba dictionary. Trenton.

24 Goldenberg, G. 1968: “Kəstanəñña: studies in a Northern Gurage language of Christians.” In: OS 17, pp. 61–102.

25 Goldenberg, G. 1977: “The Semitic languages of Ethiopia and their classification.” In: BSOAS 40, pp. 461–507.

26 Goldenberg, G. 2005: “Gurage.” In: S. Uhlig (ed.): Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. Vol. 2. D–Ha. Wiesbaden, pp. 924–928.

27 Goldenberg, G. 2013: Semitic languages: features, structures, relations, processes. Oxford.

28 Gutt, E. H. M. / Mohammed Musa Hussein 1997: Silt'e–Amharic–English dictionary (with a concise grammar of Silt'e). Addis Ababa.

29 Gutt, E.-A. 1980: “Intelligibility and interlingual comprehension among selected Gurage speech varieties.” In: Journal of Ethiopian Studies 16, pp. 57–84.

30 Gutt, E.-A. 1997: “The Silte group (East Gurage).” In: R. Hetzron (ed.): The Semitic languages. London, pp. 509–534.

31 Hetzron, R. 1972: Ethiopian Semitic: studies in classification. Manchester.

32 Hetzron, R. 1977: The Gunnän-Gurage languages. Napoli.

33 Hever, Y. 2010: “‛Sentence converters’ in Chaha (Ethiopian Semitic) in comparison with Coptic.” In: S. Baldi (ed.): VIII Afro-Asiatic congress (Naples, 2008). Naples (Studi Magrebini 6), pp. 125–136.

34 Hudson, G. 1997: “Amharic and Argobba.” In R. Hetzron (ed.): The Semitic languages. London, pp. 457–485.

35 Hudson, G. 2000: “Ethiopian Semitic overview.” In: Journal of Ethiopian Studies 33(2), pp. 75–86.

36 Hudson, G. 2007: “North and South Ethiopian Semitic.” In: R. M. Voigt (ed.): From beyond the Mediterranean: Akten des 7. Internationalen Semitohamitistenkongresses, Berlin 13–15. September 2004. Aachen, pp. 539–348.

37 Hudson, G. 2013: Northeast African Semitic: lexical comparisons and analysis. Wiesbaden.

38 Huehnergard, J. / A. D. Rubin 2011: “Phyla and waves: models of classification of the Semitic languages.” In: S. Weninger (ed.): The Semitic languages: an international handbook. Berlin, pp. 259–278.

39 Kane, Th. L. 1990: Amharic-English dictionary. Wiesbaden.

40 Kitchen, A. / Ch. Ehret / Assefa Shiferaw / C. J. Mulligan 2009: “Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Semitic languages identifies an Early Bronze Age origin of Semitic in the Near East.” In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276, pp. 2703–2710.

41 Kogan, L. 2005: “Common origin of Ethiopian Semitic: the lexical dimension.” In: Scrinium 1, pp. 367–396.

42 Kogan, L. 2008: “On Proto-Semitic deverbal derivation.” In: Aula Orientalis 26, pp. 91–115.

43 Kogan, L. 2015: Genealogical classification of Semitic: the lexical isoglosses. Berlin.

44 Leslau, W. 1944: “The position of Gafat in Ethiopic.” In: Language 20(2), pp. 56–65.

45 Leslau, W. 1956: Étude descriptive et comparative du Gafat (Éthiopien méridional). Paris.

46 Leslau, W. 1959: “Taboo expressions in Ethiopia.” In: American Anthropologist 61(1), pp. 105–108.

47 Leslau, W. 1964: “The Farmer in Chaha Song: dedicated to Abba François Markos.” In: Africa: Journal of the International African Institute 34(3), pp. 230–242.

48 Leslau, W. 1965: “Is there a Proto-Gurage?” In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Semitic Studies. Jerusalem, pp. 152–171.

49 Leslau, W. 1979a: Etymological dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic). Vol. 1: Individual dictionaries. Wiesbaden.

50 Leslau, W. 1979b: Etymological dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic). Vol. 2: English – Gurage index. Wiesbaden.

51 Leslau, W. 1979c: Etymological dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic). Vol. 3: Etymological section. Wiesbaden.

52 Leslau, W. 1987: Comparative dictionary of Gǝʿǝz: Gǝʿǝz – English / English – Gǝʿǝz with an index of the Semitic roots. Wiesbaden.

53 Leslau, W. 1997: Ethiopic documents: Argobba. Grammar and dictionary. Wiesbaden.

54 Lipiński, E. 1997: Semitic languages: outline of a comparative grammar. Leuven.

55 Marrassini, P. 2011: “‛Early Semites’ in Ethiopia?” In: Rassegna di Studi Etiopici 3, pp. 75–96.

56 Meheretu Adnew 2016: Descriptive grammar of Gyeta. Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa University, PhD Dissertation).

57 Meyer, R. 2002: “Language change in a multilingual society: the influence of Oromo on the lexicon of Zay.” In: Teshome Demisse / Zerihun Asfaw / Wondwosen Adane (eds.): Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference of the Institute of Language Studies, August 2001, Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa, pp. 35–47.

58 Meyer, R. 2005a: Das Zay: Deskriptive Grammatik einer Ostguragesprache (Äthiosemitisch). Köln.

59 Meyer, R. 2005b: “Gogot.” In: S. Uhlig (ed.): Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. Vol. 2. D–Ha. Wiesbaden, pp. 829–830.

60 Meyer, R. 2005c: “The morpheme yä- in Muher.” In: Lissan: Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 19(1), pp. 40–63.

61 Meyer, R. 2006a: Wolane: descriptive grammar of an East Gurage language (Ethiosemitic). Köln.

62 Meyer, R. 2006b: “Lokale Varietäten des Zay – Ein Survey.” In: G. Heusing (ed.): Sprach- und literaturwissenschaftliche Beiträge zum 16. Afrikanistentag. Leipzig, 25./26. 9. 2003. Berlin, pp. 147–169.

63 Meyer, R. 2011a: “Gurage.” In: S. Weninger (ed.): The Semitic languages: an international handbook. Berlin, pp. 1220–1257.

64 Meyer, R. 2011b: Review of: Ahland 2010. In: Aethiopica 14, pp. 244–262.

65 Meyer, R. 2012: “Number in Muher: on the interaction between nominal and verbal morphology.” In: Journal of Afroasiatic Languages 5(1), pp. 1–42.

66 Meyer, R. 2014: “Finiteness in Gurage languages.” In: R. Meyer / Y. Treis / Amha Azeb (eds.): Explorations in Ethiopian linguistics: Complex predicates, finiteness and interrogativity. Wiesbaden, pp. 225–258.

67 Meyer, R. 2016: “Emergence of tense in Ethio-Semitic.” In: R. Meyer / L. Edzard (eds.): Time in languages of the Horn of Africa. Wiesbaden, pp. 179–236.

68 Müller, W. 1981: Review of: Wolf Leslau: Etymological dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic). Wiesbaden 1979. In: ZDMG 131, pp. 396–404.

69 Nurse, D. 1997: “The contribution of linguistics to the study of history in Africa.” In: The Journal of African History 28(3), pp. 259–391.

70 Orel, V. E. / O. V. Stolbova 1995: Hamito-Semitic etymological dictionary: materials for a reconstruction. Leiden.

71 Ousman Shafi Awol 2015: Descriptive grammar of Mesqan. Addis Abab (Addis Ababa University, PhD Dissertation).

72 Pat-El, N. 2013: “Contact or inheritance? Criteria for distinguishing internal and external change in genetically related languages.” In: Journal of Language Contact 6, pp. 313–328.

73 Peust, C. 2012: “On the subgrouping of Afroasiatic, or: how to use an unrooted phylogenetic tree in historical linguistics.” In: Lingua Aegyptia 20, pp. 221–251.

74 Polotsky, H. J. 1949: “Gafat documents: records of a South-Ethiopic language by Wolf Leslau (review).” In: JAOS 69(1), pp. 36–41.

75 Raz, Sh. 1983: Tigre grammar and texts. Malibu.

76 Rubin, A. D. 2008: “The subgrouping of the Semitic languages.” In: Language and Linguistics Compass 2(1), pp. 61–84.

77 Shack, W. A. 1966: The Gurage: a people of the ensete culture. London.

78 Starostin, G. 2010: “Preliminary lexicostatistics as a basis for language classifications: a new approach.” In: Journal of Language Relationship 3, pp. 79–116.

79 Starostin, G. 2013: “Lexicostatistic as a basis for language classification: increasing the pros, reducing the cons.” In: H. Fangerau / H. Geisler / Th. Halling / W. Martin (eds.): Classification and evolution in biology, linguistics and the history of science: concepts, methods, visualization. Stuttgart, pp. 125–146.

80 Ullendorff, E. 1955: “The Semitic languages of Ethiopia and their contribution to general Semitic studies.” Africa: Journal of the International African Institute 25(2), pp. 154–160.

81 Voigt, R. M. 2005: “Ethio-Semitic.” In S. Uhlig (ed.): Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. Vol. 2. D–Ha. Wiesbaden, pp. 440–444.

82 Voigt, R. M. 2009: “North vs. South Ethiopian Semitic.” In: S. Ege / H. Aspen / Birhanu Tefera / Shiferaw Bekele (eds.): Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies. Vol. 4. Trondheim, pp. 1375–1387.

83 Weninger, S. (ed.) 2011a: The Semitic languages: an international handbook. Berlin.

84 Weninger, S. (ed.) 2011b: “Ethio-Semitic in general.” In: S. Weninger (ed.): The Semitic languages: an international handbook. Berlin, pp. 1114–1123.

85 Wetter, A. 2006: “The Argobba of T'ollaha: a comparative overview.” In: S. Uhlig (ed.): Proceedings of the 15th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Hamburg July 20–25, 2003. Wiesbaden, pp. 899–907.

86 Wetter, A. 2010: Das Argobba: Eine deskriptive Grammatik der Varietät von Shonke und T'ollaha (Zentraläthiopien). Köln.

87 Yohannes Adigeh 2015: Descriptive grammar of Endegagn. Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa University, PhD Dissertation).

Empfehlen


Export Citation