In deze scriptie doe ik onderzoek naar lichte zesde lettergrepen in verzen van acht lettergrepen (dimeters) in boek 1 van de Rigveda. Van 115 van deze gevallen heb ik uitgezocht of er etymologische...Show moreIn deze scriptie doe ik onderzoek naar lichte zesde lettergrepen in verzen van acht lettergrepen (dimeters) in boek 1 van de Rigveda. Van 115 van deze gevallen heb ik uitgezocht of er etymologische verklaringen zijn en of er verzen van elf of twaalf lettergrepen (trimeters) bestaan die zodanig lijken op de dimeters, dat ze een model kunnen vormen om woorden op plaatsen toe te staan waar ze eigenlijk niet in het metrum passen. In meer dan de helft van de gevallen blijkt er zo’n trimeter te bestaan, maar lang niet altijd is het een overtuigend model. Verder blijkt dat de al lang bestaande theorie, dat deze lichte lettergrepen vroeger zwaar waren omdat er bij het opstellen nog een laryngaal achter stond, meer problemen veroorzaakt dan oplost. Er kunnen ook enkele gevallen verklaard worden indien een bepaald gelijkrijmschema belangrijker was dan het slot van het metrum in dimeters. Wat ook opviel is dat minstens 85 gevallen zouden kunnen worden verklaard als het uitmaakt dat er nauwelijks of geen trimeters in de buurt zijn, maar die theorie heeft nog wel flink wat onderbouwing nodig.Show less
Onder taalwetenschappers bestaat dan ook nog steeds onenigheid over de oorsprong van sommige Limburgse -(i)ācum/-(in)iācas-toponiemen. P.L.M. Tummers schreef in 1962 zijn proefschrift over de...Show moreOnder taalwetenschappers bestaat dan ook nog steeds onenigheid over de oorsprong van sommige Limburgse -(i)ācum/-(in)iācas-toponiemen. P.L.M. Tummers schreef in 1962 zijn proefschrift over de Romaanse oorsprong van plaatsnamen in Limburg, waarvan een behoorlijk aantal voorheen al door geleerden aangemerkt was als afstammelingen van -(i)ācum. In deze scriptie zal ik deze door Tummers geherëvalueerde plaatsnamen op -(i)ācum onder de loep nemen en onderzoeken of zijn bevindingen van destijds nog wel actueel zijn.Show less
In this thesis, the long-standing problem in Indo-Iranian linguistics whether or not to reconstruct a phoneme /l/ for Proto-Indo-Iranian is examined in detail. After a brief status quaestionis, the...Show moreIn this thesis, the long-standing problem in Indo-Iranian linguistics whether or not to reconstruct a phoneme /l/ for Proto-Indo-Iranian is examined in detail. After a brief status quaestionis, the etymology of all words with a phoneme /l/ in Ṛgvedic Sanskrit is scrutinized to see which words are likely borrowed from substratum languages and which go back to Proto-Indo-Iranian. Secondly, the problem is studied from a synchronic perspective. On the basis of the distribution of /l/ and /r/ in the different books of the Ṛgveda, it is argued that both diachronic and diatopic factors play a role, i.e. that generally speaking later books and books written in more eastern parts of India have a higher frequency of words with /l/. Finally, the diastratic component is taken into consideration as it is shown on the basis of a semantic analysis and with attention to female speech that /l/ was part of the lower registers of Vedic Sanskrit. This evidence combined, it is argued in the conclusion that /l/ gradually lost its function as a phoneme in Proto-Indo-Iranian, a process that was completed in Old Iranian and Mitanni Indo-Aryan with the complete loss of a phoneme /l/. This, however, was interrupted in Old Indo-Aryan, due to a profound influx of substratum words with the phoneme /l/.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
2023-08-31T00:00:00Z
In this thesis, I study loanwords of unknown origin in Proto-Indo-Iranian and early Post-Proto-Indo-Iranian. According to the Central Asian Substrate Hypothesis, Indo-Iranian speakers migrated to...Show moreIn this thesis, I study loanwords of unknown origin in Proto-Indo-Iranian and early Post-Proto-Indo-Iranian. According to the Central Asian Substrate Hypothesis, Indo-Iranian speakers migrated to Central Asia around 2000 BCE and came into contact with the agricultural BMAC civilization, which resulted in a body of loanwords into Proto-Indo-Iranian, borrowed from the language of the BMAC people. Following a methodology for identifying non-Indo-European vocabulary in Indo-European languages, I argue that 74 out of 103 previously suggested loanwords can plausibly be analyzed as loanwords (chapter 3). Only a handful of these may have been borrowed from known languages. After establishing the relative chronology of Proto-Indo-Iranian sound changes (chapter 2), I divide the 74 early Indo-Iranian loanwords into chronological layers based on when they were borrowed (chapter 3-4). I argue that 21 words were borrowed after the disintegration of Proto-Indo-Iranian. Moreover, I argue that many of the remaining 53 loanwords that are reconstructable to Proto-Indo-Iranian were borrowed towards the end of this stage. Finally, I integrate the chronological layers into my analysis of structural characteristics of early Indo-Iranian loanwords and describe two new phonological patterns of loanwords (chapter 5). The fact that many loanwords are shown to have been borrowed in late PII or Post-PII, i.e. after Indo-Iranian speakers migrated to Central Asia, is consistent with the timeline of the Central Asian Substrate Hypothesis. Second, the newly discovered phonological characteristics provide additional support for the Central Asian Substrate Hypothesis, since they increase the likelihood that most loanwords originate in the same language.Show less
In this thesis, the nature of the shared vocabulary between Baltic, Slavic and Germanic has been researched. 294 lexical items that have been suggested in the past to be part of this shared lexicon...Show moreIn this thesis, the nature of the shared vocabulary between Baltic, Slavic and Germanic has been researched. 294 lexical items that have been suggested in the past to be part of this shared lexicon have been (re-)examined through etymological research. The shared lexicon has been placed into the context of the prehistory of the Baltic, Slavic and Germanic language families. It is argued that most of the shared lexicon is the result of an Indo-European substrate that itself contained a pre-Indo-European (neolithic) substrate and that this donor language was spoken by inhabitants of the Corded Ware culture.Show less
Er is onderzocht of het Noordwest-Indo-Europese taalgebied (Balto-Slavisch, Germaans, Italisch, Keltisch) naast een geografische eenheid ook een taalkundige fase geweest is. Hiervoor zijn 65...Show moreEr is onderzocht of het Noordwest-Indo-Europese taalgebied (Balto-Slavisch, Germaans, Italisch, Keltisch) naast een geografische eenheid ook een taalkundige fase geweest is. Hiervoor zijn 65 vermoedelijke lexicale overeenkomsten etymologisch onderzocht. Er zijn geen aanwijzingen gevonden voor het bestaan van een dergelijke Noordwest-Indo-Europese taalfase.Show less
The thesis aims to make up for part of the lack of a West Frisian etymological dictionary. It contains 37 lemmas with thorough historical linguistic treatments. A lemma consists of a West Frisian...Show moreThe thesis aims to make up for part of the lack of a West Frisian etymological dictionary. It contains 37 lemmas with thorough historical linguistic treatments. A lemma consists of a West Frisian word from the standard language, a collection of its regional and dialectal variants, its cognates in the other branches of Frisian, Germanic and Indo-European, a discussion of the relevant historical developments in phonology, morphology and semantics (focusing especially on the developments from Proto-Germanic to West Frisian), as well as of the ultimate etymology, and finally some relevant references. The words were selected from the semantic category of farming, including both agriculture and livestock breeding, which has been a prominent feature of Frisian life for centuries. The appertaining vocabulary has a long Frisian history as well, and is therefore well-suited both to illustrate and to refine our understanding of the linguistic history of Frisian.Show less
