Lecture: Using Cognate Reflex Prediction during Fieldwork as Hypothesis Test for Genealogical Relations between Language Families

We present a novel approach for testing genealogical relations of language families. The method, which has previously only be applied to closely related languages, makes predictions for cognate reflexes based on the regularity of proposed sound correspondences between language families that are hypothesized to be related. We will test the hypothesis about a genealogical relation between Panoan and Tacanan, two linguistic families of the Amazon. In total, we have predicted 206 cognate reflexes for Shipibo Konibo, a Panoan language. The predictions come from independently proposed Proto-Tacanan reconstructions. We have tested our predictions in elicitation sessions with speakers of the language and found strong evidence in favor of most of the earlier proposed sound correspondences and propose changes to the reconstruction of other sounds. The workflow will contribute to new ideas of hypothesis testing in historical linguistics and can likely be transferred to other language families as well.

Info

Day: 2024-05-09
Start time: 14:10
Duration: 00:30
Room: Seashell (33.4.032)
Track: Historical Linguistics
Language: en

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