One language or two?
-
Antoinette Schapper
Abstract
This chapter draws attention to the arbitrariness of isolate classifications for many Papuan languages. So little is known about the history of the vast majority of Papuan languages that most classifications in the literature are founded neither on significant documentation nor intensive historical-comparative study. The chapter illustrates how arbitrary the boundaries are in defining isolates versus small language families of Papuan languages. To highlight this issue, I juxtapose case studies of Yawa-Saweru and Maybrat-Karon. Saweru and Karon are both referred to as divergent varieties, yet the former is classified as an independent language and the latter as a dialect. Based on existing literature, it is shown that there is no principled reason to give different classifications to Yawa-Saweru and Maybrat-Karon.
Abstract
This chapter draws attention to the arbitrariness of isolate classifications for many Papuan languages. So little is known about the history of the vast majority of Papuan languages that most classifications in the literature are founded neither on significant documentation nor intensive historical-comparative study. The chapter illustrates how arbitrary the boundaries are in defining isolates versus small language families of Papuan languages. To highlight this issue, I juxtapose case studies of Yawa-Saweru and Maybrat-Karon. Saweru and Karon are both referred to as divergent varieties, yet the former is classified as an independent language and the latter as a dialect. Based on existing literature, it is shown that there is no principled reason to give different classifications to Yawa-Saweru and Maybrat-Karon.
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
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
