The Amuric language family
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Ekaterina Gruzdeva
Abstract
This paper deals with the areal and typological position of the Amuric language family, often classified as an isolate, but actually comprising two distinct dialectal complexes known as Nivkh and Nighvng. The Amuric varieties are spoken in the Amur-Sakhalin region of the Russian Far East and exhibit several cross-linguistically rare features. While these features could be assumed to be connected with the position of Amuric as one of the residual families of the North Pacific Coast, also known as Palaeo-Asiatic, some of them are actually based on recent innovations and do not represent the original typology of the Amuric languages. Altogether, the Amuric languages incorporate several chronological layers connected with the historical movements and areal contacts of their speakers.
Abstract
This paper deals with the areal and typological position of the Amuric language family, often classified as an isolate, but actually comprising two distinct dialectal complexes known as Nivkh and Nighvng. The Amuric varieties are spoken in the Amur-Sakhalin region of the Russian Far East and exhibit several cross-linguistically rare features. While these features could be assumed to be connected with the position of Amuric as one of the residual families of the North Pacific Coast, also known as Palaeo-Asiatic, some of them are actually based on recent innovations and do not represent the original typology of the Amuric languages. Altogether, the Amuric languages incorporate several chronological layers connected with the historical movements and areal contacts of their speakers.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
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Part I. Setting the stage
- Introduction 2
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Part II. Typological features of isolates vs. non-isolates
- Is there a typological profile of isolates? 22
- The Amuric language family 48
- An Austronesian-type voice system in an Amazonian isolate? 71
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Part III. Recovering the histories of isolates
- Etymologies in a language isolate 104
- The Small Bang 142
- Combining disparate lines of evidence in the study of the history of language isolates, exemplified with Mochica from Northern Peru 176
- The Múra doculects and Múra-Pirahã historical linguistics 208
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Part IV. Isolates and language contact
- Baroque accretions and isolation 248
- California isolates 270
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Part V. Isolates and language documentation and classification
- One language or two? 306
- Subject index 335
- Language index 337
- Name index 339
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
-
Part I. Setting the stage
- Introduction 2
-
Part II. Typological features of isolates vs. non-isolates
- Is there a typological profile of isolates? 22
- The Amuric language family 48
- An Austronesian-type voice system in an Amazonian isolate? 71
-
Part III. Recovering the histories of isolates
- Etymologies in a language isolate 104
- The Small Bang 142
- Combining disparate lines of evidence in the study of the history of language isolates, exemplified with Mochica from Northern Peru 176
- The Múra doculects and Múra-Pirahã historical linguistics 208
-
Part IV. Isolates and language contact
- Baroque accretions and isolation 248
- California isolates 270
-
Part V. Isolates and language documentation and classification
- One language or two? 306
- Subject index 335
- Language index 337
- Name index 339
