Isolating language structure
An insulating (also: amorphous , analytical ) linguistic structure is in the Sprachtypologie of Wilhelm of Humboldt and AW Schlegel a linguistic structure in which the grammatical function of the concept by its position within a sentence is made clear, so that the set position is a central element. Another characteristic of these languages is the lack of inflection .
Languages with an isolating linguistic structure are referred to as isolating languages (to be distinguished from the term isolated languages , which refers to languages that, according to the current state of research, are not historically related to any other language).
In contrast to the isolating languages, there are the synthetic (which also includes German ) and polysynthetic languages , in which various pieces of information are incorporated into individual words through inflection .
Classical Chinese is a frequently cited example of an isolating language structure.
literature
- Hadumod Bußmann (Ed.): Lexicon of Linguistics. 3rd, updated and expanded edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-520-45203-0 , article: Isolierend Sprachbau .
- Helmut Glück (Ed.): Metzler Lexicon Language. 4th, updated and revised edition. JB Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2010, ISBN 978-3-476-02335-3 , article: Isolating language .
- Theodor Lewandowski: Linguistic Dictionary. 4th, revised edition. Quelle & Meyer, Heidelberg 1985, ISBN 3-494-02050-7 , article: isolierenden Sprachbau .
