Sievers' Law and the History of Semivowel Syllabicity in Indo-European and Ancient Greek
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Author Description
This book investigates how semivowels were realized in Indo-European and in early Greek. More specifically, it examines the extent to which Indo-European *i and *y were independent phonemes, in what respects their alternation was predictable, and how this situation changed as Indo-European developed into Greek. The comprehensive and chronologically sensitive nature of this study, together with its careful assessment of what is inherited and what is innovative, enables substantive conclusions to be drawn regarding the behaviour of semivowels at various stages in the history of Greek and in Indo-European itself.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This study investigates the phonological realization of semivowels in Proto-Indo-European and their subsequent evolution into the Ancient Greek language. Peter Barber utilizes a rigorous comparative framework to analyze the phonemic status of i and y, determining the predictability of their alternations and distinguishing between inherited features and linguistic innovations. The work provides a systematic assessment of how these sounds shifted across various chronological stages of the language.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Phonological analysis of semivowel alternations in Proto-Indo-European
- Comparative study of the transition from Indo-European to Ancient Greek
- Evaluation of Sievers' Law within specific linguistic contexts
- Chronological assessment of phonemic independence versus predictability
Scope Limits
- The analysis is restricted to the specific phonological development of semivowels and does not cover broader morphological or syntactic shifts in Ancient Greek.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this monograph as a specialized contribution to the field of Indo-European historical linguistics. Readers frequently note the high level of technical density and the precise, academic nature of the phonological arguments presented.
Page Count:
464
Publication Date:
2013-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191501867
ISBN-13:
9780191501869
History
Ancient Greek
Linguistics
Ancient History
Historical linguistics
Phonology
Academic
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