An isogloss, also called a heterogloss (see Etymology below), is the geographic boundary of a certain linguistic feature, such as the pronunciation of a vowel, the meaning of a word, or the use of some morphological or syntactic feature. Major dialects are typically demarcated by bundles of isoglosses, such as the Benrath line that distinguishes High German from the other West Germanic languages and the La Spezia–Rimini Line that divides the Northern Italian languages and Romance languages west of Italy from Central Italian dialects and Romance languages east of Italy. However, an individual isogloss may or may not have any coterminus with a language border. For example, the front-rounding of /y/ cuts across France and Germany, while the /y/ is absent from Italian and Spanish words that are cognates with the /y/-containing French words.
In some branches (for example Greek, Italic and Germanic), the palatals merged with the velars: PIE *keup- "tremble (inwardly)" became Latincupiō "desire" and *ḱm̥tom "hundred" became Latin centum (pronounced [kentum]); but *kʷo- "interrogative pronoun" became quō "how? where?". They are known as centum branches, named after the Latin word for hundred.
In other branches (for example, Balto-Slavic and Indo-Iranian), the labiovelars merged with the velars: PIE *keup- became Vedic Sanskritkopáyati "shaken" and *kʷo- became Avestankō "who?"; but *ḱm̥tom became Avestan satəm. They are known as satem branches, after the Avestan word for hundred.[1][2]
Since the Balto-Slavic family, the Indo-Iranian family, and the other satem families are spoken in adjacent geographic regions, they can be grouped by an isogloss: a geographic line separating satem branches on one side from centum branches on the other.
A feature of the ancient Northwest Semitic languages is w becoming y at the beginning of a word. Thus, in Proto-Semitic and subsequent non-Northwest Semitic languages and dialects, the root letters for a word for "child" were w-l-d. However, in the ancient Northwest Semitic languages, the word was y-l-d, with w- > y-.
Similarly, Proto-Semitic ā becomes ō in the Canaanite dialects of Northwest Semitic.[3] Within the Aramaic languages and dialects of Northwest Semitic, the historic ā is preserved. Thus, an ancient Northwest Semitic language whose historic ā became ō can be classed as part of the Canaanite branch of Northwest Semitic.
Such features can be used as data of fundamental importance for the purposes of linguistic classification.
IsographsEdit
Just as there are distinguishing features of related languages, there are also distinguishing features of related scripts. (For a discussion of writing systems, see The World's Writing Systems.[4])
For example, a distinguishing feature of the Iron Age Old Hebrew script is that the letters bet, dalet, ayin and resh do not have an open head, but contemporary Aramaic has open-headed forms. Similarly, the bet of Old Hebrew has a distinctive stance (it leans to the right), but the bet of the Aramaic and Phoenician scripts series has a different stance (in both, it leans to the left).
In 2006, Christopher Rollston suggested using the term isograph to designate a feature of the script that distinguishes it from a related script series, such as a feature that distinguishes the script of Old Hebrew from Old Aramaic and Phoenician.[5]
EtymologyEdit
The term isogloss (Ancient Greek ἴσοςísos "equal, similar" and γλῶσσαglōssa "tongue, dialect, language") is inspired by contour lines, or isopleths, such as isobars. However, the isogloss separates rather than connects points. Consequently, it has been proposed for the term heterogloss (ἕτεροςhéteros "other") to be used instead.[6]
^Garr, W. Randall (2 June 2008). Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine: 1000-586 BCE. Eisenbrauns. ISBN978-1-57506-091-0.
^Daniels, Peter; Bright, William, eds. (8 February 1996). The World's Writing Systems. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-507993-0.
^Rollston, Christopher A. (2006). "Scribal Education in Ancient Israel: The Old Hebrew Epigraphic Evidence". Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. 344: 47–74. doi:10.1086/BASOR25066977. S2CID 160670117.
^Sihler, Andrew L. (2000). Language History. Current issues in linguistic theory. Vol. 191. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing. p. 170. ISBN90-272-3698-4.
Woodard, Roger D. (31 May 2004). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-56256-2.
External linksEdit
Look up isogloss in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isoglosses.
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: A discussion of the shortcomings and oversimplifications of using isoglosses.
On Some Acoustic Correlates of Isoglossy: A humorous analysis of Russian isoglossy.
October 05, 2023
isogloss, isogloss, also, called, heterogloss, etymology, below, geographic, boundary, certain, linguistic, feature, such, pronunciation, vowel, meaning, word, some, morphological, syntactic, feature, major, dialects, typically, demarcated, bundles, isoglosses. An isogloss also called a heterogloss see Etymology below is the geographic boundary of a certain linguistic feature such as the pronunciation of a vowel the meaning of a word or the use of some morphological or syntactic feature Major dialects are typically demarcated by bundles of isoglosses such as the Benrath line that distinguishes High German from the other West Germanic languages and the La Spezia Rimini Line that divides the Northern Italian languages and Romance languages west of Italy from Central Italian dialects and Romance languages east of Italy However an individual isogloss may or may not have any coterminus with a language border For example the front rounding of y cuts across France and Germany while the y is absent from Italian and Spanish words that are cognates with the y containing French words Isoglosses on the Faroe IslandsHigh German subdivides into Upper German green and Central German cyan and is distinguished from Low Franconian and Low German yellow The main isoglosses the Benrath and Speyer lines are marked in black One of the best known isoglosses is the centum satem isogloss Similar to an isogloss an isograph is a distinguishing feature of a writing system Both concepts are also used in historical linguistics Contents 1 Examples 1 1 Centum satem isogloss 1 2 North Midland isogloss American English 1 3 Northwest Semitic 2 Isographs 3 Etymology 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksExamples EditCentum satem isogloss Edit Main article Centum satem isogloss The centum satem isogloss of the Indo European language family relates to the different evolution of the dorsal consonants of Proto Indo European PIE In the standard reconstruction three series of dorsals are recognised Labiovelars kʷ gʷ gʷʰVelars k g gʰPalatals ḱ ǵ ǵʰIn some branches for example Greek Italic and Germanic the palatals merged with the velars PIE keup tremble inwardly became Latin cupiō desire and ḱm tom hundred became Latin centum pronounced kentum but kʷo interrogative pronoun became quō how where They are known as centum branches named after the Latin word for hundred In other branches for example Balto Slavic and Indo Iranian the labiovelars merged with the velars PIE keup became Vedic Sanskrit kopayati shaken and kʷo became Avestan kō who but ḱm tom became Avestan satem They are known as satem branches after the Avestan word for hundred 1 2 Since the Balto Slavic family the Indo Iranian family and the other satem families are spoken in adjacent geographic regions they can be grouped by an isogloss a geographic line separating satem branches on one side from centum branches on the other North Midland isogloss American English Edit A major isogloss in American English has been identified as the North Midland isogloss which demarcates numerous linguistic features including the Northern Cities vowel shift regions north of the line including Western New York Cleveland Ohio lower Michigan northern Illinois and eastern Wisconsin have the shift while regions south of the line including Pennsylvania central and southern Ohio and most of Indiana do not Northwest Semitic Edit A feature of the ancient Northwest Semitic languages is w becoming y at the beginning of a word Thus in Proto Semitic and subsequent non Northwest Semitic languages and dialects the root letters for a word for child were w l d However in the ancient Northwest Semitic languages the word was y l d with w gt y Similarly Proto Semitic a becomes ō in the Canaanite dialects of Northwest Semitic 3 Within the Aramaic languages and dialects of Northwest Semitic the historic a is preserved Thus an ancient Northwest Semitic language whose historic a became ō can be classed as part of the Canaanite branch of Northwest Semitic Such features can be used as data of fundamental importance for the purposes of linguistic classification Isographs EditJust as there are distinguishing features of related languages there are also distinguishing features of related scripts For a discussion of writing systems see The World s Writing Systems 4 For example a distinguishing feature of the Iron Age Old Hebrew script is that the letters bet dalet ayin and resh do not have an open head but contemporary Aramaic has open headed forms Similarly the bet of Old Hebrew has a distinctive stance it leans to the right but the bet of the Aramaic and Phoenician scripts series has a different stance in both it leans to the left In 2006 Christopher Rollston suggested using the term isograph to designate a feature of the script that distinguishes it from a related script series such as a feature that distinguishes the script of Old Hebrew from Old Aramaic and Phoenician 5 Etymology EditThe term isogloss Ancient Greek ἴsos isos equal similar and glῶssa glōssa tongue dialect language is inspired by contour lines or isopleths such as isobars However the isogloss separates rather than connects points Consequently it has been proposed for the term heterogloss ἕteros heteros other to be used instead 6 See also EditDialect Dialectology Dialect continuum Cultural boundary Language border Joret line Sprachbund Uerdingen lineReferences Edit Fortson IV Benjamin W 2004 Indo European Language and Culture Blackwell Publishing pp 52 54 ISBN 1 4051 0316 7 Rix Helmut 2001 Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben Dr Ludwig Reichert Verlag p 359 ISBN 3 89500 219 4 Garr W Randall 2 June 2008 Dialect Geography of Syria Palestine 1000 586 BCE Eisenbrauns ISBN 978 1 57506 091 0 Daniels Peter Bright William eds 8 February 1996 The World s Writing Systems New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 507993 0 Rollston Christopher A 2006 Scribal Education in Ancient Israel The Old Hebrew Epigraphic Evidence Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 344 47 74 doi 10 1086 BASOR25066977 S2CID 160670117 Sihler Andrew L 2000 Language History Current issues in linguistic theory Vol 191 Amsterdam Philadelphia John Benjamins Publishing p 170 ISBN 90 272 3698 4 Bibliography EditChambers J K Trudgill Peter 28 December 1998 Dialectology Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics 2nd ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 59646 7 Woodard Roger D 31 May 2004 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World s Ancient Languages New York Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 56256 2 External links Edit nbsp Look up isogloss in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isoglosses An example of an isogloss in Southern England Beyond the Isogloss The Isograph in Dialect Topography A discussion of the shortcomings and oversimplifications of using isoglosses On Some Acoustic Correlates of Isoglossy A humorous analysis of Russian isoglossy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Isogloss amp oldid 1177216363, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
