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Proto-Sáliban Verb Classes
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- Author(s) / Creator(s)
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Claims regarding the genetic relationship between the Sáliban languages rest solely on a number of lexical comparisons that only identify resemblances between lexical items. In this study, I reconstruct two distinct verb classes for Proto-Sáliban and the consonants in the animate subject person markers for each verb class. The main difference between the two classes is that Class I verbs take prefixes while Class II verbs take suffixes to mark their subjects. Both sets of affixes can be shown to be cognate, and the observed correspondences to be the product of regular sound changes in the languages’ lexica and, therefore, reflexes of an older Proto-Sáliban system. This study not only provides uncontroversial morphological evidence for a genetic relationship between the Sáliban languages but contributes to the description of the Mako language, thus far undescribed.
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- Date created
- 2016-04-01
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- Type of Item
- Article (Published)