The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of the Jews of Dohok

A Comparative-Typological Grammar
Erscheinungsjahr 2024
ISBN: 978-90-04-52198-8
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 112, 252 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 239 mm, Gewicht: 499 g

Reihe: Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics

This book combines in-depth grammatical analysis with dialectology and typology. It presents important features of Jewish Neo-Aramaic from Dohok (Iraqi Kurdistan), a previously undocumented dialect that is now on the verge of extinction. The first Neo-Aramaic grammar to offer data glossing, this book is accessible for and highly relevant to Semitists, language typologists and historical linguists. It focuses especially on phonology, verbal morphosyntax and syntax. The monograph also highlights features that characterise the wider lišana deni dialect group, which is the most widespread Jewish Neo-Aramaic today. The book leverages the staggering microvariation persisting within North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic to reconstruct the grammaticalisation of some key Neo-Aramaic constructions. It also includes a text sample of prime historiographic value (Jews of Iraq during the Second World War).

Autoren/Hrsg.

Molin, Dorota

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Dialektologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Historische & Vergleichende Sprachwissenschaft, Sprachtypologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Grammatik, Syntax, Morphologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface

List of Figures and Maps

List of Tables

Abbreviations and Symbols

1 Introduction

1 Aims

2 The Jews of Dohok and Their Endangered Language

3 Neo-Aramaic: The Last Surviving Branch of an Ancient Linguistic Tradition

4 Jewish and Christian NENA: Differences and Similarities

5 Jewish NENA: Subgroupings and History

6 Distinctive Features of J. Dohok NENA

7 An Overview of Previous Research

8 Methods and Assumptions

9 Book Content, Limitations and References to Supplementary Literature

Part 1 Phonology and Phonetics

2 The Segments: Consonants and Vowels

1 Consonants

2 Vowels

3 Phonetic Processes and Larger Phonological Units

1 Phonetically-Conditioned Processes Affecting Consonants

2 Emphasis Spread (Affecting Consonants and Vowels)

3 Phonotactics

4 Intonation Units: Nucleus Stress and Pause

Part2 Morphology

4 Pronouns

1 Independent Personal Pronouns

2 Demonstrative Pronouns

3 Pronominal Suffixes on Nouns and Prepositions

4 The Independent Genitive Particle

5 Reflexive Pronoun

6 The Pronoun of Independence

7 The Pronoun of Isolation

8 Interrogative Pronouns

9 Indefinite Pronouns

5 Overview of Nouns and Adjectives

1 Nouns

2 Adjectives and Their Agreement with Nouns

3 Annexation of Nouns

6 Verbal Morphology

1 The Inventory of Patterns, Stems and Inflectional Affixes

2 Weak Verbs in Pattern I

3 Weak Verbs in Pattern II

4 Weak Verbs in Pattern III

5 Irregular Verbs

7 Numerals

1 Cardinal Numbers

2 Ordinal Numbers

3 Days of the Week & Seasons

8 Adverbials and Prepositions

1 Adverbials

2 Prepositions

Part 3 Morphosyntax and Syntax

9 Pronominal Objects and Object-like Arguments, and Differential Object Marking

1 Objects of Monotransitive

2 The Ditransitive and Constructions with Object-like Arguments

3 Past Perfective Forms

4 Object (P, T and R) Affixes on Past Perfective Forms in LD in General

5 Differential Object Marking in J. Dohok and in NENA Generally

6 Summary of Distinctive Features

10 The Morphology and Syntax of the Copula

1 J. Dohok Copulas: Morphology and Basic Syntax Rules

2 The Semantics and Pragmatics of NENA Copula Clauses

3 Wele/Basic Copula+Verbal Predicate

4 Wele/Basic Copula + Non-verbal Predicate Clauses

5 Non-verbal Predicate = Basic Copula

6 Basic Copula + Predicate (Non-verbal, Permanent Property)

7 Summary of Present Tense Copula Clauses in J. Dohok

8 Past Tense Copula Clauses

9 Negated Copula Clauses (All Clause Types)

10 Irrealis Copula Clauses

11 Clauses Lacking a Copula

12 Comparative and Diachronic Discussion

11 The Tense-Aspect-Mood System

1 Šaq?l

2 K-šaq?l

3 Šaq?l and k-šaq?l for Irrealis Mood in Past Purpose Clauses

4 B-šaq?l

5 La k-šaq?l

6 Šq?lle (and qam-šaq?l-la)

7 Šq?l-wa-le

8 Šaq?l-wa

9 K-šaq?l-wa

10 B-šaq?l-wa

11 K-šaq?l(-wa) in a Diachronic and Comparative Perspective

12 B-šaq?l(-wa) in a Diachronic and Comparative Perspective

13 Copula + Participle (wele šqila)

14 Copula + in-Infinitive (wele b?-šqala) and wal/hol/hole k-šaq?l

15 Expression of Other TAM Categories

12 Text Sample with a Glossary

1 Narrative Text with a Glossed Sample

2 Glossary of Words from the Story

13 Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Dorota Molin, Ph.D. in 2021 for her research on Jewish Neo-Aramaic. She currently researches on Aramaic and Biblical Hebrew. She teaches Biblical Hebrew at the University of Oxford, and Jewish Neo-Aramaic at the Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages.