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SUMMARY:Advances in Proto-Basque Reconstruction and The Proto-Indo-Europea
 n-Euskarian Hypothesis - Juliette Blevins (Graduate Center\, CUNY)
DTSTART:20161026T153000Z
DTEND:20161026T163000Z
UID:TALK67779@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:James Clackson
DESCRIPTION:This talk presents central features of a new reconstruction of
  Proto-Basque\, the mother language of modern Basque varieties\, historica
 l Basque\, and Aquitanian (Martínez-Areta 2013). Proto-Basque is reconstr
 ucted on the basis of the method of internal reconstruction\, with a focus
  on previously unappreciated alternations and asymmetries in sound distrib
 ution.  The reconstructions and sound changes proposed are\, at the same t
 ime\, informed by studies of the phonetic bases of sound change\, and typo
 logical characteristics of sound inventories\, phonotactics\, and alternat
 ion types (Blevins 2004\, 2014). The reconstruction of Proto-Basque builds
  on the monumental work of Michelena (1961)\, and the more recent CVC root
  theory of Lakarra (1995\, 2013)\, but differs from both of these in signi
 ficant ways.  Labials •m and •ph are reconstructed\, where both are ab
 sent in Michelena’s reconstruction. A single fricative •s is proposed\
 , in contrast to the Michelena’s proposal with •s and •z.  A single 
 •r is proposed\, in contrast to Michelena’s •r vs. •R\, and a limi
 ted number of root-initial consonant clusters are reconstructed\, includin
 g initial •sC clusters. Proto-Basque reconstructions based on these meth
 ods have a surprising property: many of them resemble Proto-Indo-European 
 roots. A careful assessment of these superficial similarities using the co
 mparative method reveals regular sound correspondences for all consonants 
 and vowels in a wide range of roots\, stems\, and words\, including basic 
 vocabulary\, providing preliminary evidence that Proto-Basque and Proto-In
 do-European are related. However\, conservative features of Proto-Basque s
 uggest that it does not descend from Proto-Indo-European. Rather\, the Pro
 to-Indo-European-Euskara hypothesis proposes that these two ancient langua
 ges both descend from the same\, more ancient\, mother tongue.\n\nSelected
  References\nBlevins\, Juliette. 2004. Evolutionary phonology: the emergen
 ce of sound patterns. Cambridge: CUP.\nBlevins\, Juliette. 2014. Evolution
 ary Phonology: a holistic approach to sound change typology\, in P. Honeyb
 one & J. Salmons (eds.)\, The Oxford Handbook of Historical Phonology\, Ox
 ford: OUP. \nEgurtzegi\, Ander. 2013. Phonetics and Phonology\, in Martín
 ez-Areta\, M. (ed.)\, 119-172.\nLakarra\, Joseba. 1995. Reconstructing the
  pre-Proto-Basque root\, in J.I. Hualde\, J.A. Lakarra & R.L. Trask (eds.)
 \, Towards a history of the Basque language\, Amsterdam: John Benjamins\, 
 189- 206. \nLakarra\, Joseba. 2013. Root Structure\, in Martínez-Areta (e
 d.)\, 173-221. \nMartínez-Areta\, M. (ed.). 2013. Basque and Proto-Basque
 . Language-Internal and Typological Approaches to Linguistic Reconstructio
 n [Mikroglottika 5]. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.\nMichelena\, Luis. 196
 1. Fonética histórica vasca. Donostia-San Sebastian: Diputación Foral d
 e Guipuzcoa [2nd ed. 1977]. \nTrask\, R. Larry. 1997. The history of Basqu
 e. London: Routledge.\n
LOCATION:1.11 Classics Faculty
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