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2014 | 48 | 13-31

Article title

The range and beauty of internal reconstruction: probing Hausa linguistic history

Authors

Content

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Languages of publication

EN

Abstracts

EN
Using examples from Hausa, this paper demonstrates the probative value of Internal Reconstruction (IR) as a method for unearthing linguistic history. Five developments in the history of Hausa discovered by means of IR are described. These are Klingenheben’s Law; two previously unrecognized diphthongs, *iu and *ui; the emergence of the phoneme /h/ from a phonetic feature of word onset; vowel lowering resulting in asymmetry in plural formation; and the preservation of an archaic third person singular masculine pronoun *ni in fixed compounds.

Year

Issue

48

Pages

13-31

Physical description

Dates

published
2014-12-10

Contributors

author
  • Indiana University, Bloomington

References

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  • Lukas, J., 1970/71, “Die Personalia und das primäre Verb im Bolanci (Nordnigerien), mit Beiträgen über das Karekare”, Afrika und Übersee 54, 237-286.
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Document Type

Publication order reference

Identifiers

YADDA identifier

bwmeta1.element.desklight-2bb2441c-49b3-4f95-b8f3-04ce6d437d13
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