On the origin and development of the Albanian demonstratives

Bibliographic Data

ID22024264
AuthorsSergio Neri (0000-0002-0450-2265, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume15
Issue2
Pages315-342
Publication date2025-12-12
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Historical Linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2210-2116 • E-ISSN: 2210-2124
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/jhl.24010.ner
OpenAlexW4414032096
LanguageEN
References cited17

Albanian has a two-term demonstrative system, with proximal masculine ky and feminine kjo ‘this’ contrasting with distal masculine ai and feminine ajo ‘that’. The distal pronouns double as personal pronouns of the third person. Both demonstratives arose from the composition of two deictic elements. The second element (with nominative singular masculine - i / -y , feminine - jo , and neuter -ta ) is the same for both pronouns and probably continues the PIE demonstrative * se/o -, * te/o -, although some etymological details are not clear yet. The origin of the first elements k(ë) - resp. a - is also disputed. In this article I will first briefly sketch the morphology of the two demonstrative pronouns in Old Albanian and then proceed to a re-evaluation of the etymological scenarios that may explain the rise and grammaticalization of ky and ai

Linguistics · European and International Law Studies · Mathematics · Philosophy

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