THE MACRO-COMPARATIVE JOURNAL
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Volume 1 No.
1
November 2010
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CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
NEWS
The
Macro-Comparative Journal is launched!
ARTICLES
The
Current Status of Nostratic Studies
Allan R. Bomhard
Abstract: The article is an up-to-date
introduction to Nostratic, as reconstructed by Allan Bomhard. It comprises an historical
introduction, a phonological survey of Nostratic and of the daughter languages,
a presentation of sound correspondences and the morphology of Proto-Nostratic.
Bomhard's approach is also compared with that of Dolgopolsky.
The
Outcome of Afrasian Guttural Proto-Phonemes in Berber
Arnaud Fournet
Abstract: Current approaches of Afrasian hold
pharyngeals and laryngeals to have muted out in Berber. The article shows that
pharyngeal phonemes have in fact become palatalized into *s/z and
*š/ž in this group of languages. They have not disappeared but have
changed their place of articulation. There exists a significant number of
examples of these phonetic correspondences which ultimately support the cognacy
of Berber with Semitic and therefore with the Afrasian in general. The
hypothesis of a phonetic change: pharyngeal > palatal explains many
phonological and morphological features of Berber languages.
Kartvelian and the
Issue of Glottalization in Nostratic
Arnaud Fournet
Abstract: The article deals with the issue of
glottalization in Nostratic with a special focus on Kartvelian. Several
hypotheses of sound correspondences are tested between Kartvelian and
Proto-Indo-European. It is concluded that Kartvelian glottalization is not
inherited but is probably a feature originally of prosodic nature.
Pre-Proto-Kartvelian only had a distinction between voiced and voiceless
phonemes.
COMMENTS
Allan R. Bomhard
REVIEWS
Arnaud Fournet
REFERENCE MATERIALS
Arnaud
Fournet