LINGUIST List 15.481

Thu Feb 5 2004

Diss: Historical Ling: Chirikba: 'Common West...'

Editor for this issue: Takako Matsui <takolinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. chirikba, Common West Caucasian...

Institution: Leiden University
Program: Department of Comparative Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 1996

Author: Viacheslav A. Chirikba 

Dissertation Title: Common West Caucasian. The Reconstruction of its
Phonological System and Parts of its Lexicon and Morphology. Leiden:
CNWS Publications, 452 p.

Linguistic Field: Historical Linguistics 

Subject Language Family: North Caucasian (code: NA)

Dissertation Director 1: Prof. Dr. Frederik H.H. Kortlandt
Dissertation Director 2: Dr. Rieks J. Smeets

Dissertation Abstract:
 
The dissertation deals with the reconstruction of Common West
Caucasian, the postulated proto-language of the West Caucasian
(Abkhazo-Adyghean) languages, Abkhaz, Circassian and the recently
extinct Ubykh. The book contains a synchronous description of the
phonetic systems of all West Caucasian dialects and presents
intermediary reconstructions of the Proto-Abkhaz, Proto-Circassian and
Proto-Ubykh phonemic systems. The reconstructed intermediary
proto-languages serve as a basis for the reconstruction of Common West
Caucasian. Besides phonology, the book treats also certain aspects of
the morphology (nominal and verbal affixation, ablaut) and the lexicon
of Common West Caucasian. Finally, the author touches upon the problem
of the external relations of Common West Caucasian, namely, with the
East Caucasian (or Nakh-Daghestanian) languages, and with the long
extinct Hattic language of ancient Asia Minor (early second millennium
B.C.).