Re: Paleoasiatic (was: Favourite Language Group?)

Tim May scripsit:

> I don't dispute that this is a probable explanation for the facts
> before us, and I have no alternative hypothesis.  We are, however,
> theorizing from limited data.
Here's what I've been able to glean by googling:

# Radical reduction can be observed in a complex system of numerals
# formerly divided into twenty-six classes. Currently the speakers remember
# the numeral forms no more than of six classes, making a distinction
# between numerals referring to people, animals, small objects, dried fish,
# days, and all other objects.
(http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/sky/endabs.htm)

# The use of Cl[assifier]s is common in the languages of East and Southeast
# Asia; examples are Chinese, Burmese, Thai, and Khmer. It is also common
# in Aus- tronesian, especially among Oceanic languages.  Chamorro, for
# instance, uses Cls (exclusively) with possessives, while Mokilese,
# Ponapean, Trukese, and Woleaian use them with numerals, as in the
# Chinese example (5b), and also with possessives. Indonesian has only
# numeral classifiers.  Several Mesoamerican families also contain Cl-
# languages.  These include the Mayan languages (Chontal, Yucatec, and
# Tzeltal, for instance), as well as Tarascan and the Totonac languages
# of the Totonac- Tepehua family. A form of possessive classifier occurs
# in some Otomanguean languages. Numeral classifiers also occur in the
# isolated Siberian language Nivkh. In addition, classifiers appear in a
# variety of constructions in certain Australian languages.  Even some
# Indo-European languages contain simple classifier systems. Persian,
# for instance, has a few nouns that are commonly inserted after numerals.
# While relatively little of the classifying function remains in Persian
# (such constructions are a relic of an older, richer system), the
# similarity to other Cl-systems is clear.
(http://nr.stic.gov.tw/ejournal/ProceedingC/v10n1/142-155.pdf)

# In the Siberian language Nivkh (or Gilyak) nouns can be derived from
# verbs simply by changing the initial consonant (see (i)), and likewise
# transitive and intransitive verbs are often related solely by mutation
# (see (ii)):
#
# (i)  vut^y id^y       'sweep'                 put^yis   'broom'
#      fady     'put on knee-piece'     phad^y    'knee-piece'
#
# (ii) gesqod^y 'burn NP'               kesqod^y  'burn oneself'
#      zod^y    'bend'                  t^yod^y   'bend'
#      (C^y = palatalized C, Ch = aspirated C)
(http://users.info.unicaen.fr/~tlebarbe/Linguistics_Lexicon/ll_m.html)


--
John Cowan                                   jcowan@reutershealth.com
        "You need a change: try Canada"  "You need a change: try China"
                --fortune cookies opened by a couple that I know

Reply