Reconstructing phonologies of dead languages: the case of Late Greek <H>

Vessella, C. (2012) Reconstructing phonologies of dead languages: the case of Late Greek <H>. Rivista degli Studi Orientali, 2011(84), pp. 257-272.

Abstract

This article compares prescriptive texts of the Indian and of the Greek scholarly tradition (Prati®akhya and Atticist lexica), with a focus on a specific problem of Late Greek phonology, the pronunciation of ‹Ë›. The Greek case-study shows how the learned texts attest to a conservative language of the educated. This variety retained special sets of phonological traits, perhaps for much a longer period than the same traits had survived in non-educated variants: the lexica that attest to it provide therefore valuable evidence of language change in Late Greek.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Vessella, Dr Carlo
• Authors: Vessella, C.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Classics
• Journal Name: Rivista degli Studi Orientali
• Publisher: Fabrizio Serra Editore
• ISSN: 0392-4866
• ISSN (Online): 1724-1863
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2012 Sapienza, Università di Roma and Fabrizio Serra editore®
• First Published: First published in Rivista degli Studi Orientali 2011(84):257-272
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher