Vocalic transfer: A Southeast Asia areal feature
Journal name: Acta Orientalia
Original article title: Vocalic transfer: A Southeast Asia areal feature
ACTA ORIENTALIA is a journal focused on the study of Oriental languages, history, archaeology, and religions from ancient times to the present. The journal includes articles reviewed by a senior scholar in the relevant field.
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Paul K. Benedict
Acta Orientalia:
(Founded in 1922 and published annually)
Full text available for: Vocalic transfer: A Southeast Asia areal feature
Year: 1979 | Doi: 10.5617/ao.5117
Copyright (license): CC BY 4.0
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Summary of article contents:
1) Introduction
Paul K. Benedict’s work on vocalic transfer in Southeast Asian languages explores phonological characteristics that define this linguistic region. The prominent features highlighted are monosyllabism and tonality, which are believed to have disseminated from a Sino-Tibetan center. This study examines how vocalic transfer manifests in various Austro-Tai languages and the related Austroasiatic and Mon-Khmer languages, illustrating a complex interplay of morphological and phonological dynamics over time.
2) Monosyllabism in Southeast Asian Languages
Monosyllabism is a critical hallmark of many languages in Southeast Asia. It principally affects Austro-Tai languages, such as Kadai and Miao-Yao, as well as the Vietnamese language. This phenomenon leads to considerable loss of the initial vowel (V₁) in canonical morpheme shapes, resulting in a more concise, monosyllabic form. For example, the Proto-Austroasiatic root *kula underwent transformation into forms like khla~kla for 'tiger', represented in the comparative frameworks of Munda languages. This pattern reflects broader processes of simplification and reduction in the morpho-phonological structure of the languages within this areal linguistic zone.
3) Vocalic Transfer Mechanisms
Vocalic transfer (VT) emerges as a critical mechanism in the alteration of roots where the initial vowel is transferred to a surviving syllable. This can lead to vowel gemination, particularly evident in reduplicated roots that characterize the Austro-Tai language family. Specified examples show that such transfers are typically executed by lowering the vowel in specific syllable contexts while preserving the vowel quality in others. For instance, the retention of high vowels in Miao-Yao and the corresponding reductions in Proto-Austroasiatic highlight this intricate system. In essence, the way vowels shift within roots serves as a phonetic and morphological signal for linguistic relationships across the Southeast Asian linguistic landscape.
4) Patterns in Austroasiatic Languages
Further examination reveals that these vocalic transfer patterns extend beyond the Austro-Tai family, featuring prominently in languages of the Austroasiatic family. Here, roots with identifiable patterns of a as V₁ and high vowels like i or *u for V₂ illustrate consistent outcomes in their phonetic evolution. For example, the root for ‘bitter’ transitions across various languages while maintaining a structural coherence that suggests a shared ancestry. Notably, these changes are not merely phonetic; they also indicate shifts in semantic domains, providing additional insight into the historical and cultural constraints influencing the languages of Southeast Asia.
5) Conclusion
The study of vocalic transfer and other phonological features in Southeast Asian languages not only highlights the intricate relationships among different linguistic families but also underscores the dynamic nature of language evolution. Through processes like monosyllabism and vocalic transfer, these languages reveal patterns of morphological adaptation and phonetic simplification that are emblematic of the broader areal features that characterize the region. Benedict's exploration contributes to a deeper understanding of the phonological evolution in Southeastern Asia, offering valuable perspectives for linguistics and language contact phenomena.
FAQ section (important questions/answers):
What are the key phonological features of Southeast Asian languages?
Southeast Asian languages are characterized by monosyllabism and tonality, which diffused from Sino-Tibetan origins. These features have significantly influenced mainland Austro-Thai stocks and Austroasiatic languages like Vietnamese.
How did tonal systems spread in Southeast Asia?
A three-tone system developed in early Chinese was disseminated to mainland Austro-Thai languages like Kadai and Miao-Yao, as well as the Austroasiatic language Vietnamese. Peripheral influences included Tibetan-Burman effects on other languages.
What is vocalic transfer (VT) in linguistic terms?
Vocalic transfer refers to the phenomenon where one vowel is transferred to another syllable, often resulting in vowel gemination. This can manifest in reduplicated roots, particularly found in various Austro-Thai and Austroasiatic languages.
What variations of vocalic transfer can be observed?
Different patterns of vocalic transfer exist. Examples include simple vowel gemination in roots with identical vowels and complex alterations observed in roots with varied vowel types, often reflecting the influence of neighboring languages or dialects.
How does monosyllabism manifest in these languages?
Monosyllabism results in a loss of vowels in canonical morpheme shapes, leading to forms like khla~kla for 'tiger.' This loss varies across languages, affecting both Austro-Thai stocks and Austroasiatic languages.
What role does reduplication play in these linguistic features?
Reduplication is prevalent in Austro-Thai language families, contributing to the vowel transfer phenomenon. This process often leads to gemination in roots, providing insights into the historical changes and relationships among the languages.
Glossary definitions and references:
Oriental and Historical glossary list for “Vocalic transfer: A Southeast Asia areal feature”. This list explains important keywords that occur in this article and links it to the glossary for a better understanding of that concept in the context of History, Linguistics, Religion, Philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism etc.
1) Language:
The text discusses the phonological characteristics and diffusion of tonal systems across various Southeast Asian languages, highlighting a specific phonetic feature known as vocalic transfer.
2) White:
White Sand Li is mentioned in relation to the words for 'partridge' and 'head,' showing how vowel sounds and structures are influenced by vocalic transfer within certain languages of the Kam-Sui branch.
3) Hair:
Proto-Miao Yao shows the development of the word for 'hair' through vocalic transfer, where the PMY reflex includes nasalized vowels and reflects earlier forms with metathesis or vowel retention.
4) Penis:
In Proto-Austro-Thai, the word for 'penis' demonstrates vocalic transfer, highlighting the gemination of vowels in various dialects such as Proto-Tai and Proto-Kam-Sui.
5) Worm:
The term for 'worm' in Proto-Tai and other related languages illustrates vowel reduction and transfer, changing its phonetic representation across different language stocks.
6) Snake:
In IN (Indonesian), 'nata' for 'snake' undergoes phonetic changes through vocalic transfer, seen in various languages like Proto-Tai where it manifests in shortened forms without stress reduction.
7) Fish:
Proto-Tai and Proto-Kam-Sui include words for 'fish' that show vowel changes due to vocalic transfer, where original forms like 'tula' adapt into newer phonetic forms.
8) Animal:
[see source text or glossary: Animal]
9) Flesh:
Proto-Tai terms for 'meat' or 'flesh,' especially in reference to deer meat, undergo transformations through vowel gemination and vocalic transfer, as seen in forms like *bla and *nla in various dialects.
10) Tai:
The Thai language illustrates specific patterns of vocalic transfer, particularly with roots like 'say/speak,' showing how vowel placement influences modern phonetic structures and meanings.
11) Fish scale:
PAT suggests that *q/ulap or *qəlap undergo vowel assimilation and vocalic transfer, resulting in Proto-Tai and Proto-Li forms for 'fish scales' that reflect these changes independently.
12) Bali:
In Proto-Austro-Thai and Indonesian contexts, 'bali' (to buy, sell, change) changes phonetically through vocalic transfer, representing its evolution across different languages and dialects.
13) Retention:
Retention of the original vowel sounds is a key in several Proto-Tai forms, especially in recreated environmental contexts, where vowel retention and gemination occur through metathesis or transfer.
14) Forest:
The adaptation of the Proto-Austro-Thai root for 'forest' displays instances of vowel gemination and reduction, becoming varied forms in languages like Proto-Tai and Ong-Be.
15) Bitter:
The Proto-Indonesian root for 'bitter' faciltates vowel shift and transfer reflected in other languages like Proto-Tai and Rukai, showing phonological adjustments over time.
16) Mortar:
IN *halu meaning 'pestle' undergoes vowel retention and transfer across Austronesian languages, materializing as vocalized forms in Proto-Tai and PLi languages.
17) Malay:
Malay words like 'harimau' (tiger) undergo changes through vocalic transfer, evolving into various forms in Southeast Asian languages and reflecting widespread phonetic shifts.
18) Wheel:
Proto-Tai roots for 'wheel/cycle/ring' exhibit vocalic transfer with resulting phonetic variations seen in related languages and dialects across Southeast Asia.
19) Tiger:
The term for 'tiger' derived from Proto-Austro-Thai, such as *s[a]rimaw, demonstrates vocalic transfer in its transformation across different languages and in forming reduced syllables.
20) Child (Children):
Forms such as Proto-Mon-Khmer *kuan for 'child' show vowel transfers while evolving into simpler structures like Khmer involving shared vowel clusters.
21) Bile:
Expressions related to 'bile' or 'bitter/bile' from Proto-Austro-Thai undergo vowel shifts through vocalic transfer, showing different phonetic outcomes in languages like Proto-Tai.
22) Rice (Rce):
[see source text or glossary: Rice]
23) Silver:
The Austro-Thai root for 'silver,' illustrated in Cham language transformations through vocalic transfer, reflects how early forms undergo complex vowel shifts.
24) Cycle:
PAT roots indicating cyclic or ring structures undergo vowel metathesis and transfer, resulting in varied Proto-Tai phonetic interpretations for 'cycle' and related words.
25) Nata:
The word 'nata' for 'snake' in Proto-Austro-Thai shows transformations through vocalic transfer, with vocalic assimilation evident in derived forms across languages.
26) Iyan:
Malay and Proto-Tai variants of the 'red' color root 'iyan' undergo changes through vocalic transfer, exemplifying phonetic shifts and vowel levels in Austro-Tai languages.
27) Can:
Forms like Proto-Tai *saan 'two' illustrate vowel transfer and the adaptation of original stress patterns affecting numerical terminology in related languages.
28) Revolution:
[see source text or glossary: Revolution]
29) Partridge:
Proto-Sui Kam and other languages maintain the word for 'partridge,' revealing phonetic evolution via vocalic transfer reflective of nominal audibility patterns.
30) Disease:
Proto-Austro-Thai words for diseases exhibit vowel exchange through vocalic transfer, affecting terms for skin conditions like 'ringworm' in Indo-Malayan contexts.
31) Balin:
[see source text or glossary: Balin]
32) Cloud:
Proto-Mon-Khmer words for atmospheric elements like 'cloud' demonstrate vowel positioning influenced by vocalic transfer, as reflected in languages such as Khmer.
33) Cloth:
[see source text or glossary: Cloth]
34) Tan:
Proto-Tai words such as thaan (forest) exhibit vowel reduction and metathesis, manifesting in tonal variations across related dialects of Southeast Asia.
35) Pali (Palin):
[see source text or glossary: Palin]
36) Lati:
[see source text or glossary: Lati]
37) Shan (San):
Shan dialects showcase the development of words like 'red' (PT *?deen) through phonetic shifts influenced by vowel lowering and gemination.
38) Tula (Tula°):
The Proto-Tai form 'tula' for worm/eel adjusts through vocalic transfer appearing in abbreviated or varied modern lexical reflexes in related languages.
39) Hemp:
Indicating substances like hemp across Proto-Tai and Indo-Malaysian regions, original phonetic structures transform reflecting retained or omitted vowel transfer variances.
40) Cham:
Cham linguistic studies demonstrate sporadic vocalic transfer with roots like 'worm' and 'field,' reflecting metathesis trends similar to Austro-Thai languages.
41) Food:
[see source text or glossary: Food]
42) Boat:
[see source text or glossary: Boat]
43) Fire:
Proto-Austro-Thai terms for 'fire' undergo semantic adjustments and transfer, reflected in Proto-Tai derivations showing vowel shifts and stress changes.
44) Fowl:
[see source text or glossary: Fowl]
45) Pan (Panne):
[see source text or glossary: Paan]
46) Environment:
[see source text or glossary: Environment]
47) Discussion:
[see source text or glossary: Discussion]
48) Excrement:
[see source text or glossary: Excrement]
49) Pheasant:
[see source text or glossary: Pheasant]
50) Village:
[see source text or glossary: Village]
51) Dialect:
Specific dialects within the Proto-Austro-Thai and Proto-Kam-Sui families show evidence of vocalic transfer influencing vowel arrangements and stress positions.
52) Leather:
[see source text or glossary: Leather]
53) Sandhi (Shandhi, Samdhi):
The text references historical phonological changes like sandhi where tonal and vowel shifts influence linguistic formations reflected in multiple Southeast Asian languages.
54) Leaf (Leaves):
[see source text or glossary: Leaves]
55) Family:
[see source text or glossary: Family]
56) Stream:
[see source text or glossary: Stream]
57) Sex (Sexual):
[see source text or glossary: Sexual]
58) Munda (Mumda):
[see source text or glossary: Munda]
59) Bantu (Bamtu):
Proto-Austronesian terms like bantu (support/lean on) undergo vowel shifting and transfer, influenced by phonetic dependencies evident in Indo-Malayan languages.
60) Frame:
Terms related to cyclical or circular forms in Proto-Tai reflect shifts like vowel gemination through vocalic transfer, indicating foundational phonetic variances.
61) Black:
[see source text or glossary: Black]
62) Thorn:
[see source text or glossary: Thorn]
63) Lying:
[see source text or glossary: Lying]
64) Taste:
Innovations in Proto-Austro-Thai words for sensory perceptions like 'taste' reflect vocalic transfer and vowel reductions across related language families.
65) Urine:
[see source text or glossary: Urine]
66) Salt (Salty):
[see source text or glossary: Salty]
67) Sweating (Sweat):
[see source text or glossary: Sweat]
68) Eagle:
[see source text or glossary: Eagle]
69) Tani:
[see source text or glossary: Tani]
70) Tala:
[see source text or glossary: Tala]
71) Hira:
[see source text or glossary: Hira]
72) Bana:
Roots for structures like 'field' (bana) undergo adaptive shifts through vocalic transfer in various Southeast Asian dialects, showing alternative phonetic realizations.
73) Kanu:
The Indonesian example 'kanu' reflects vowel adaptation and transfer, influencing how roots like 'say/speak' are phonetically represented in related languages.
74) Shalu (Salu):
Representations of tools like 'mortar/pestle' across Proto-Austro-Thai exhibit vocalic transfer and assimilation, impacting its phonetic evolution in derived languages.
75) Halu:
[see source text or glossary: Halu]
[Note: The above list is limited to 75. Total glossary definitions available: 94]