Explore the origins of Proto-Indo-European language through the Yamnaya people, the complexities of ancient languages like the Hittite language, and the unique sound changes in language development. Delve into the intriguing Hindi number system with unexpected changes and challenges in numerical naming conventions.
The podcast discusses the diverse case marking features of the Indo-European language family, tracing its origins from Proto-Indo-European in Ukraine.
It explores the unique characteristics of the Hittite language, showcasing deviations from conventional Indo-European patterns and sparking debates about its originality.
Deep dives
Indo-European Language Family and its Spread
The podcast delves into the extensive reach of the Indo-European language family, comprising nearly 3 billion speakers globally. This linguistic group encompasses languages predominantly found in Europe, Iran, and India, showcasing diverse case marking features such as nouns with case endings for different contexts. The narrative traces the origins of Indo-European from Proto-Indo-European in what is now Ukraine, emphasizing the family's wide dissemination and the complexity of reconstructing its linguistic characteristics.
Hittite and Tokarian Languages: Unique Variations
The discussion highlights the peculiarities of the Hittite language, representing an ancient Indo-European form with distinctive omissions like the absence of the dual form and feminine gender. Contrasting the conventional Indo-European patterns, Hittite showcases deviations, sparking debates about its originality. Additionally, the podcast introduces Tokarian, an unexpected Indo-European language preserved in Buddhist manuscripts from Western China, offering insights into divergent cultural contexts and linguistic evolution.
Celtic and Indo-Aryan Language Dynamics
Exploring Celtic and Indo-Aryan languages, the episode uncovers intriguing linguistic transformations. The Celtic languages, including Old Irish, illustrate profound shifts in phonetics over time, revealing the intricate nature of language evolution. In comparison, the Indo-Aryan languages, prevalent in India, exhibit complex numbering systems with drastic sound changes for numerical terms, showcasing the intricacies of language adaptation and cognitive processing in diverse linguistic environments.
There are at least five defining features among hundreds of related languages from English to Hindi to Russian. And what does any of that have to do with the Hittites? John explains.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com
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