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Proto-Kartvelian language

The Proto-Kartvelian language, or Common Kartvelian (Georgian: წინარექართველური ენა, romanized: ts'inarekartveluri ena, Georgian: პროტოქართველური ენა, romanized: p'rot'okartveluri ena), is the linguistic reconstruction of the common ancestor of the Kartvelian languages, which was spoken by the ancestors of the modern Kartvelian peoples. The existence of such a language is widely accepted by specialists in linguistics, who have reconstructed a broad outline of the language by comparing the existing Kartvelian languages against each other.[1] Several linguists, namely Gerhard Deeters and Georgy Klimov have also reconstructed a lower-level proto-language called Proto-Karto-Zan or Proto-Georgian-Zan, which is the ancestor of Karto-Zan languages (includes Georgian and Zan).[2]

Proto-Kartvelian
Reconstruction ofKartvelian languages
Lower-order reconstructions

Influences

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The ablaut patterns of Proto-Kartvelian are highly similar to those of the Indo-European languages, and so it is thought that Proto-Kartvelian interacted with Indo-European at a relatively early date.[3] This is reinforced by cognates with Indo-European, such as the Proto-Kartvelian *mḳerd- ('breast'), and its possible relation to the Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- ('heart'). Proto-Kartvelian *ṭep- (warm) may also be related to Proto-Indo-European *tep- 'warm'.[1][better source needed]

Relation to descendants

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The modern descendants of Proto-Kartvelian are Georgian, Svan, Mingrelian and Laz. The ablaut patterns of Proto-Kartvelian were better preserved in Georgian and (particularly) Svan than in either Mingrelian or Laz, in which new forms have been set up so that there is a single, stable vowel in each word element.[1]

The system of pronouns of Proto-Kartvelian is distinct on account of its category of inclusive–exclusive (so, for instance, there were two forms of the pronoun "we": one that includes the listener and one that does not). This has survived in Svan but not in the other languages. Svan also includes a number of archaisms from the Proto-Kartvelian era, and therefore it is thought that Svan broke off from Proto-Kartvelian at a relatively early stage: the later Proto-Kartvelian stage (called Karto-Zan) split into Georgian and Zan (Mingrelo-Laz).[1]

Phonology

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Vowels

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Proto-Kartvelian vowels[4][5][6]
Front Back
unrounded rounded
short long short long short long
Close (*i [i]) (*u [u])
Open-mid *e [ɛ] [ɛː] *o [ɔ] [ɔː]
Open *a [ɑ] [ɑː]

Consonants

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Proto-Kartvelian consonants[7][8]
Labial Alveolar Retroflex Postalveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
plain sibilant central lateral[8]
Nasal *m [m] *n [n]
Plosive voiced *b [b] *d [d] [d͡z] *ʒ₁ [d͡ʐ] [d͡ʒ] *g [ɡ]
voiceless *p [p] *t [t] *c [t͡s] *c₁ [t͡ʂ] [t͡ʃ] *k [k] *q [q]
ejective *ṗ [] *ṭ [] *c̣ [t͡sʼ] *c̣₁ [t͡ʂʼ] *č̣ [t͡ʃʼ] *ɬʼ [t͡ɬʼ] *ḳ [] *q̇ []
Fricative voiceless *s [s] *s₁ [ʂ] [ʃ] *lʿ [ɬ] *x [x] *h [h]
voiced *z [z] *z₁ [ʐ] [ʒ] [ɣ]
Trill *r [r]
Approximant *w [w] *l [l] *y [j]

Distinction between plain [q] and ejective [] remains only in Svan language. This distinction also existed in Old Georgian.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Britannica, 15th edition (1986): Macropedia, "Languages of the World", "Caucasian languages"
  2. ^ Klimov (1998), p. VIII
  3. ^ Gamkrelidze & Ivanov (1995), pp. 768, 774–776
  4. ^ Gamkrelidze & Machavariani (1965)
  5. ^ Klimov (1998), p. X
  6. ^ Gamkrelidze (1966), p. 70, 73, 80
  7. ^ Gamkrelidze (1966), p. 70
  8. ^ a b Fähnrich (2002), p. 5

References

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  • "Languages of the World". Encyclopædia Britannica: Macropedia (15th ed.). 1986. "Caucasian languages" section.
  • Fähnrich, H. (2002). Kartwelische Wortschatzstudien. Jena: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität.
  • Gamkrelidze, T. (January–March 1966). "A Typology of Common Kartvelian". Language. 42 (1): 69–83.
  • Gamkrelidze, T.; Ivanov, V. (1995). Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans: A Reconstruction and Historical Analysis of a Proto-Language and a Proto-Culture. Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
  • Gamkrelidze, T.; Machavariani, G. (1965). The system of sonants and ablaut in Kartvelian languages (in Russian and Georgian).
  • Klimov, G. (1998). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages. Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
  • Schmidt, Karl Horst (1962). Studien zur Rekonstruktion des Lautstandes der südkaukasischen Grundsprache XXXIV No. 3 (in German). Abhandlung für die Kunde des Morgenlandes.