LINGUIST List 13.795

Mon Mar 25 2002

Books: Slavic Linguistics: Upper Sorbian

Editor for this issue: Naomi Ogasawara <naomilinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. LINCOM EUROPA, Upper Sorbian by Gunter Schaarschmidt

Upper Sorbian

GUNTER SCHAARSCHMIDT
University of Victoria

The area inhabited by the Sorbs corresponds roughly to the regions of
Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz) for Upper Sorbian and Lower Lusatia
(Niederlausitz) for Lower Sorbian. At present, this area covers appr.
95km in its north/south expansion, and appr. 60km in its widest
west/east expansion. According to recent statistics (1991), the number
of Upper Sorbian speakers does not exceed 53,600, a 44% reduction
since the mid 1880s (by comparison, Lower Sorbian declined by 81% in
the same period). Upper Sorbian is classified as belonging to the West
Slavic group of languages. However, Upper Sorbian (like Lower Sorbian)
has a number of linguistic features that are not found in any of the
other members of that group: it has retained the Old Slavic tense
system with aorist, imperfect, and perfect past tenses. In many
dialects, the dual number is marked for both nominals and
verbals. Centuries of contact with German have left an indelible
imprint, especially on colloquial Upper Sorbian and on dialects. The
Upper Sorbian language area, small as it is, is divided into at least
nine major dialects. There are, in addition, many regional
dialects. Politically, Upper Sorbian is part of Saxony ("Freistaat
Sachsen"). The German Unity Treaty of 1990 guarantees the rights of
Sorbian speakers to use their language in the public domain and in the
courts in the Sorbian-speaking areas.


ISBN 3 89586 260 6. 
Languages of the World/Materials 160. 
60pp. USD 34.50 / EUR 29.20 / � 21.10.


New: A Students' and course discount of 40% is offered to the above
 title. 

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Go to http://www.lincom-europa.com


Free copies of LINCOM'S new catalogue "project line 12" are now
available from 
LINCOM.EUROPAt-online.de.

LINCOM EUROPA, Freibadstr. 3, D-81543 Muenchen, Germany;
FAX +49 89 62269404.