Strata Research

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The Strataforschung ( Latin stratum : The Scattered) in the historical and comparative linguistics attempts to explain the origin of linguistic units in a language which does not include this language to the genetic heritage. The entelechial theory (Greek: en- in-, telos end, echein have: endowed with power and drive, also: superstrate theory) and the substrate theory serve as explanatory models . The two hypothetical explanations contradict each other.

The superstrate theory assumes that certain linguistic components of a language can be explained by taking over the components from a second language that dominates the language. However, this dominant second language could not establish itself by forcing a language change , as a result died out and remained historically unrelated.

A typical example are the so-called “ Medic ” parts in the Old Persian language , which has not been handed down in writing. The cuneiform inscriptions of the Achaemenids , however, attest to Old Persian as the forerunner of today's New Persian; the language was also preserved in a dialect in southwest Iran (see also: Old Iranian languages ).

The substrate theory, on the other hand, explains the additional linguistic elements through the language change. The prevailing object language displaced the second language, with the latter being able to fertilize the surviving language partly through interference as a substrate during a presupposed bilingual phase before its extinction .

Examples are the pre-Greek language , which is said to have influenced ancient Greek in the countries around the Aegean Sea , for example Pelasgian . However, the dead language was not mentioned in writing in ancient Greek, let alone passed down.

Whether a language is a superstrat (lat. Superstratum that is scattered over it ) or a substrate ultimately depends on how much prestige it had. The language that is socially classified as higher is, in retrospect, a superstrate, the socially underprivileged language is therefore a substrate.

A clear differentiation between substrates and superstrates is usually not possible. Examples are the Celtic parts in the Germanic languages. The Old French example, had no uniform standard, but lived through an enormous dialect diversity. However, it is unusual for B. “aller au coiffeur” and asyndetic compounds such as “logements élèves”, “constructeur automobiles”, fait in the singular with [t] etc. To explain the various elements, French linguistic research uses the substrate thesis with the formerly Celtic population shares. At the same time, Germanic invasions underpin the superstrate thesis.

See also

literature

  • Geiger, E. Kuhn (Ed.): Ground plan of the Iran. Philology, 1895-1904.
  • K. Hoffmann: Altiran, BTE 1./4./1, 1958, pp. 1-20.
  • Rüdiger Schmitt : The a. Spr. At a glance. In: Rüdiger Schmitt (Ed.): Compendium linguarum iranicarum, 1989, pp. 25–31.
  • Types of training and implementation of national languages ​​in Romania. In: Sociolinguistica. 2, 1988, pp. 73-116.
  • Christian Schmitt : O português em Sri-Lanka (Ceilão) . In: Günter Holtus u. a. (Ed.): Lexicon of Romance Linguistics. Volume 6.2. 1994; Pp. 610-618.
  • Christian Bartholomae : Old Iran Book. 1904.
  • Helmut Glück (Ed.): Metzler Lexicon Language. 2000.
  • Thomas Krefeld: Methodological foundations of strata research. In: Gerhard Ernst (Hrsg.): Romance language history. 2003, pp. 555-568.
  • Christian Schmitt: A propos de l'européisation des langues romanes. 2000, pp. 457-465.

Substrate theory

  • Norbert Boretzky : Creole languages, substrates and language change. 1983, ISBN 978-3447022750 .
  • P. Sture Ureland (Ed.): The achievement of the Strataforschung and the Kreolistik. Niemeyer, 1982, ISBN 978-3484301252 .
  • TL Markey et al. a .: When Worlds Collide. Indo-Europeans and Pre-Indo-Europeans. 1990.

Superstrate theory

  • P. Sture Ureland (Ed.): The achievement of the Strataforschung and the Kreolistik. Niemeyer, 1982, ISBN 978-3484301252 .