Unchanged Cognates as a Criterion in Linguistic Subgrouping

Bibliographic Data

ID11114818
AuthorsBh Krishnamurti, Lincoln Moses, Douglas G Danforth
Year1983
Volume59
Issue3
Pages541
Publication date1983-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0097-8507 • E-ISSN: 1535-0665
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/413903
OpenAlexW2323643873
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited10

If a sound change has lexically diffused without completing its course, one finds that among the lexical items qualified for the change, some have already changed ( c ), others have remained unchanged ( u ), and still others show variant forms (u/c). When such a change has affected a group of genetically related languages, the consequent comparative pattern u — u/c — c can be used to set up subrelations among languages. In this paper, we draw on data from six languages belonging to the South-Central subfamily of Dravidian, with reference to an atypical sound change called ‘apical displacement’. There are 63 etymologies which qualify for the study. A total of 945 possible binary-labeled trees fall into six types for the six languages under study. In terms of our postulates, that tree is the best which scores the lowest m , i.e. the minimum number of independent instances of change needed to account for the u-c-o (o = no cognate) pattern of a given entry. Each of the 63 entries has been applied to the possible 945 trees, and the trees have been scored for the value m by computer. The one tree which scored the lowest (71 points) is identical with the traditionally established tree for these languages. This paper shows that: (a) one shared innovation is sufficient to give genetic subrelations among languages, within the framework of the theory of lexical diffusion; (b) unchanged cognates are as important as changed cognates in giving differential scores for possible trees; and (c) the notion of shared innovation can be further refined within the theory of lexical diffusion

Linguistics · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Philosophy · Psychology

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