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Comparative Method and Linguistic Reconstruction
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Language Divergence and Dialect
Terminology
Dialects are defined by location. Each language region is called an "isogloss".
With time, different dialects from the proto-language develop and change in different regions in which they are spoken.
Eventually, with further changes, dialects become distinct sister languges.
Terminology
- cognate set
- set of related words descended from the same ancestor word of the proto-language
- sound correspondences
- sounds found in the related words of cognate sets which descend from a common ancestral sound
- reflex
- the descendent sound of a sound in the proto-language
English Dialects
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?_r=0
- Proto-language
- ancestral language from which modern languages descend from
- morpheme
- single meaningful unit
- cognate
- word/morpheme related to another word/morpheme from a sister language from which is descended from a single morpheme from the proto-language
- lenition
- weakening of a sound
Comparative Method
Comparing romance languages:
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- French
Borrowed Words
Splits
Dialects
Proto-Language
When looking for cognate sets, it is important to use basic vocabulary that has the least chances of being borrowed i.e. body parts, numbers, geographical terms, basic actions, emotions etc.
50% English vocab is borrowed, so finding cognates would not work with many words.
In french, both [k] and [ ] exist under different circumstances. This indicates a split. Two sounds are derived from one phoneme.
*k > k / __*u
*k > / __*a
Forms of speech particular to specific regions or social groups
I. Find Correspondences:
-p- : -b- : -b- : -v-
II. Reconstruct proto-sound that allows for natural sound change (lenition)
*p > b,v / [+voi] __ [+voi]
Isogloss: geographical areas that have defining linguistics features
The comparative method
- use information of closely related languages to reconstruct an ancestor language
If there are no obvious natural sound changes, go with the majority:
It is more likely that French changed independently from k than the other way around
*k > / #__V
Swadesh List
List of 100-200 words that are not borrowed across all languages.