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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 34:2 (2017) ► pp.253–277

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Areal features of Hittite conditionals

Consequences for the reconstruction of Indo-European

 | University of Ljubljana
Published online: 20 July 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.34.2.04zor
Abstract
Hittite conditionals exhibit some morphosyntactic peculiarities which are not yet fully understood, such as the conditional conjunction takku derived from a demonstrative plus “and”, some unexpected alternations from past to present and the irrealis particle (-)man used in hypothetical, potential and contrary-to-fact conditionals. Cross-linguistically these features are not frequent, and inheritance from Proto-Indo-European cannot be claimed. A close look into the syntax and semantics of (Peripheral) Akkadian and Sumerian reveals that they may be innovations due to language contact between Hittite and Semitic languages. This fact deserves appropriate consideration in the reconstruction of Proto-Anatolian and Proto-Indo-European.
Résumé
Certaines structures conditionnelles hittites se forment avec des moyens grammaticaux remarquables dont l’origine reste obscure, telles que le connecteur takku dérivé d’un démonstratif auquel a été adjoint « et », certaines alternances inattendues du passé et du présent et la particule d’irréalité (-)man utilisée dans les propositions conditionnelles hypothétiques, potentielles et irréelles. Dans les langues du monde, de tels éléments ne sont pas fréquents et, du point de vue historique, nous ne pouvons conclure à une origine indo-européenne. En examinant de près la syntaxe et la sémantique des structures conditionnelles akkadiennes et sumériennes, on peut constater qu’il pourrait s’agir de résultats de contacts linguistiques entre le hittite et les langues sémitiques. Ces observations méritent une attention particulière dans la reconstruction du proto-anatolien et du proto-indo-européen.
Zusammenfassung
Hethitische Konditionalsätze weisen einige bisher unerklärbare morphosyntaktische Eigentümlichkeiten auf, etwa die Konditionalkonjunktion takku, die aus einem Demonstrativpronomen und der Konjunktion „und“ besteht, oder gewisse unvorhersehbare Alternationen von Präteritum und Präsens, bzw. auch die Modalpartikel (-)man in hypothetischen, potentialen und kontrafaktischen Konditionalsätzen. Sprachübergreifend sind solche Konstruktionen relativ selten, und sie entstammen nicht dem Proto-Indoeuropäischen. Eine eingehende Untersuchung der Syntax und Semantik des (Peripher-)Akkadischen sowie des Sumerischen erlaubt jedoch die Annahme, dass es sich hierbei um Innovationen handelt, die als Folge des Sprachkontakts zwischen hethitischen und semitischen Sprachen entstanden sind.. Diese Erkenntnisse sollten bei der Rekonstruktion des Proto-Anatolischen sowie des Proto-Indoeuropäischen nicht unberücksichtigt bleiben.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Hittite conditionals
  • 3. takku conditionals in Laws and omen texts
  • 4.Tense alternations in counterfactuals
  • 5.The modal particle (-)man
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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