Linguistic reconstruction

Linguistic reconstruction is the practice of establishing the features of an unattested ancestor language of one or more given languages. There are two kinds of reconstruction: Internal reconstruction uses irregularities in a single language to make inferences about an earlier stage of that language – that is, it is based on evidence from that language alone. Comparative reconstruction, usually referred to just as reconstruction, establishes features of the ancestor of two or more related languages, belonging to the same language family, by means of the comparative method. A language reconstructed in this way is often referred to as a proto-language (the common ancestor of all the languages in a given family); examples include Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Dravidian. Texts discussing linguistic reconstruction commonly preface reconstructed forms with an asterisk (*) to distinguish them from attested forms. An attested word from which a root in the proto-language is reconstructed is a reflex. More generally, a reflex is the known derivative of an earlier form, which may be either attested or reconstructed. Reflexes of the same source are cognates. First, languages that are thought to have arisen from a common proto-language must meet certain criteria in order to be grouped together; this is a process called subgrouping. Since this grouping is based purely on linguistics, manuscripts and other historical documentation should be analyzed to accomplish this step. However, the assumption that the delineations of linguistics always align with those of culture and ethnicity must not be made. One of the criteria is that the grouped languages usually exemplify shared innovation. This means that the languages must show common changes made throughout history. In addition, most grouped languages have shared retention. This is similar to the first criterion, but instead of changes, they are features that have stayed the same in both languages.

À propos de ce résultat

Cette page est générée automatiquement et peut contenir des informations qui ne sont pas correctes, complètes, à jour ou pertinentes par rapport à votre recherche. Il en va de même pour toutes les autres pages de ce site. Veillez à vérifier les informations auprès des sources officielles de l'EPFL.

Concepts associés (7)

Proto-langue

En linguistique historique, une proto-langue est une langue le plus souvent non attestée mais parfois attestée (par exemple le latin), dont a évolué un groupe de langues apparentées. Dans ce sens, on parle de langues comme le proto-indo-européen, le proto-slave, le proto-germanique, etc. On appelle parfois « langue commune » une telle langue, ex. slave commun, germanique commun.

Finnois

Le finnois (en finnois : suomi) est une langue finno-ougrienne, de la branche fennique de la famille des langues ouraliennes, utilisant l'alphabet latin. Le finnois est parlé dans l'ensemble de la Finlande, à l'exclusion des îles Åland qui sont majoritairement suédophones. Il l'est également en Russie, dans la république autonome de Carélie, où il bénéficie d'un statut officiel. Le finnois compte au total 5 millions de locuteurs, il est la langue maternelle d'environ 91 % des Finlandais ; en Carélie russe, le nombre des locuteurs est d'environ .

Attested language

In linguistics, attested languages are languages (living or dead) that have been documented and for which the evidence (“attestation”) has survived to the present day. Evidence may be recordings, transcriptions, literature or inscriptions. In contrast, unattested languages may be names of purported languages for which no direct evidence exists, languages for which all evidence has been lost, or hypothetical proto-languages proposed in linguistic reconstruction.