Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 36:3 (2019) ► pp.337–383
Borrowing from an unrelated language in support of intragenetic tendencies
The case of the conditional clitic =sa in Udi
Published online: 17 September 2019
https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.18019.mai
https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.18019.mai
Abstract
Udi is a Nakh-Daghestanian (Lezgic) language spoken in northern Azerbaijan, which has undergone many
contact-induced changes due to the influence of unrelated languages of the eastern Caucasus (Indo-European, Turkic). A recent
change is the borrowing of the conditional enclitic =sa from Azerbaijani (Turkic). In Udi, this marker can
combine with finite indicative tenses, resulting in a series of derived ‘realis’ conditional mood forms. The clitic is also used
to create an indefiniteness marker, which derives indefinite pronouns from interrogative ones. Prior to the borrowing of the
Azerbaijani morpheme there was no comparable marker in Udi available to fulfil these functions, while other Lezgic languages
employ their own native grammatical means for the same functions (conditional clitics or auxiliaries). The acquisition of the
borrowed clitic has thus made Udi more and not less structurally isomorphic with respect to the other languages of the Lezgic
branch. This paper develops a description of functions related to the domain of conditional mood on various stages of the history
of Udi, and suggests a diachronic scenario for the borrowing of the Azerbaijani marker =sa.
Résumé
L’udi est une langue caucasique de l’Est (branche lezguique) parlée en Azerbaïdjan du Nord qui a subi de
nombreux changements en raison de l’influence de langues non apparentées de l’Est du Caucase (indo-européennes, turques).
L’emprunt de l’enclitique conditionnel =sa à l’azéri (langue turque) a eu lieu à une date relativement récente.
En udi, ce marqueur peut s’appliquer à des temps finis de l’indicatif pour produire une série de formes dérivées exprimant le mode
conditionnel réel. Ce clitique s’emploie aussi pour créer un marqueur indéfini qui dérive des pronoms indéfinis à partir de
pronoms interrogatifs. Avant l’acquisition de ce morphème par emprunt à l’azéri, l’udi ne présentait aucun marqueur comparable
remplissant ces fonctions, tandis que les autres langues lezguiques ont pour ces fonctions des clitiques ou auxiliaires
conditionnels d’origine autochtone. Ainsi, l’acquisition de ce clitique a-t-il rapproché l’udi des autres langues de la branche
lezguique, sur le plan typologique, plutôt que de l’en éloigner.
Zusammenfassung
Udisch ist eine nakh-Dagestanische (lesgische) Sprache, die im Norden Aserbaidschans gesprochen wird und
aufgrund des Einflusses nicht verwandter Sprachen des östlichen Kaukasusraums (Indoeuropäisch, Turksprachen) viele kontaktbedingte
Wandlungsprozesse durchlaufen hat. Eine relativ neue Entwicklung ist die Entlehnung des Konditionalklitikums =sa
aus dem Aserbaidschanischen (d.h. einer Turksprache). Im Udischen kann sich dieses Klitikum mit finiten indikativischen
Tempusformen verbinden, was zu einer Reihe abgeleiteter Realis-Formen des Konditionals geführt hat. Das Klitikum wird auch zur
Markierung von Indefinitheit verwendet, indem es Indefinitpronomina aus Interrogativpronomina ableitet. Vor der Entlehnung dieses
aserbaidschanischen Morphems hat es im Udischen kein vergleichbares Element gegeben, das diese Funktionen hätte erfüllen können.
In anderen lesgischen Sprachen hingegen stehen für diese Funktionen jeweils eigene grammatische Mittel zur Verfügung
(Konditionalklitika oder Auxiliare). Durch die Verwendung des entlehnten Klitikums hat sich folglich der strukturelle
Isomorphismus des Udischen mit den anderen Sprachen des lesgischen Zweigs nicht etwa verringert sondern vergrößert.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.The Udi language and its contact situation
- 3.Functions of the conditional clitic =sa in Nizh Udi
- 3.1Conditional clauses
- 3.2Clauses with wh-words
- 3.3Comparative constructions
- 3.4Contrastive topic
- 3.5Indefinite pronoun series marker
- 4.The Azerbaijani source of Udi =sa
- 4.1Conditional copula in Azerbaijani
- 4.2Towards the history of =sa borrowing
- 4.3Two possible alternative sources
- 5.The situation in earlier stages of Udi
- 6.Conditional markers in related Lezgic languages
- 7.The conditional =sa vs. other contact-induced changes in Udi
- 8.Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Abbreviations
References Published sources in Nizh Udi
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