Chapter 7. The role of geography and migration in the branching and spread of the Japonic language family
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Elisabeth M. de Boer✝
Abstract
This chapter investigates two extremes of the distribution of the Japonic language family: the Ryūkyū Islands in the southwest, and the Tōhoku region in the northeast. Despite the fact that both areas were settled relatively late by speakers of Japonic compared to other areas of Japan, the linguistic situation in the two regions could not be more different: in the Ryūkyūs there is extreme linguistic diversity, while in the Tōhoku region, the diversification is low. This chapter argues that differences in the natural environment (multiple islands in the southwest, versus the easily navigable Japan Sea coast, and room to withdraw from the pressure of the central state in the northeast) were factors that shaped the linguistic geography of the two regions.
Abstract
This chapter investigates two extremes of the distribution of the Japonic language family: the Ryūkyū Islands in the southwest, and the Tōhoku region in the northeast. Despite the fact that both areas were settled relatively late by speakers of Japonic compared to other areas of Japan, the linguistic situation in the two regions could not be more different: in the Ryūkyūs there is extreme linguistic diversity, while in the Tōhoku region, the diversification is low. This chapter argues that differences in the natural environment (multiple islands in the southwest, versus the easily navigable Japan Sea coast, and room to withdraw from the pressure of the central state in the northeast) were factors that shaped the linguistic geography of the two regions.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Editors’ introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Signs of prehistoric language shifts involving Unangam Tunuu (Aleut) 8
- Chapter 2. Early compound accent in Japanese Tōkyō -type dialects 36
- Chapter 3. Phylogenetic signal in the lexicon 59
- Chapter 4. Solving Galton’s problem 74
- Chapter 5. Re-examining initial geminates 109
- Chapter 6. Recurrent change in pronouns 146
- Chapter 7. The role of geography and migration in the branching and spread of the Japonic language family 172
- Chapter 8. Iconicity principles from an evolutionary perspective 194
- Chapter 9. Modality across semantic spaces 216
- Chapter 10. Something out of nothing 240
- Chapter 11. The diachronic development of postverbal dé 得 in Chinese 260
- Chapter 12. Food, contact phenomena and reconstruction in Oriental Berber 283
- Chapter 13. A cognitive-typological perspective on the origins of causative‑applicative polysemy 330
- Index 367
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Editors’ introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Signs of prehistoric language shifts involving Unangam Tunuu (Aleut) 8
- Chapter 2. Early compound accent in Japanese Tōkyō -type dialects 36
- Chapter 3. Phylogenetic signal in the lexicon 59
- Chapter 4. Solving Galton’s problem 74
- Chapter 5. Re-examining initial geminates 109
- Chapter 6. Recurrent change in pronouns 146
- Chapter 7. The role of geography and migration in the branching and spread of the Japonic language family 172
- Chapter 8. Iconicity principles from an evolutionary perspective 194
- Chapter 9. Modality across semantic spaces 216
- Chapter 10. Something out of nothing 240
- Chapter 11. The diachronic development of postverbal dé 得 in Chinese 260
- Chapter 12. Food, contact phenomena and reconstruction in Oriental Berber 283
- Chapter 13. A cognitive-typological perspective on the origins of causative‑applicative polysemy 330
- Index 367
