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Article published In: Pragmatics and its Interfaces as related to the Expression of Intention
Edited by István Kecskés
[Pragmatics & Cognition 26:1] 2019
► pp. 39–60

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Siberian-American cognitive and cultural interface through eco-ethnic lexicon

 | Tomsk State University
 | Tomsk State University
 | Tomsk State University
Published online: 27 March 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/pc.19007.kim
Abstract
The focus of this paper is a possible Siberian link with the Na-Dene Languages, based on cognitive lexical semantics. Dene-Yeniseian is a proposed language family consisting of the Yeniseian languages of Central Siberia and the Na-Dene languages of North-Western North America (Campbell, Lyle. 2011. Review of The Dene-Yeniseian Connection (Kari and Potter), International Journal of American Linguistics 77(3). 445–451. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Trombetti, Alfredo. 1923. Elementi di glottologia. Bologna. 486–511.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Vajda, Edward. 2010. A Siberian link with Na-Dene languages. Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska, New series. 51, 33–99.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar, . 2011. A response to Campbell. International Journal of American Linguistics 77(3). 451–452. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar, . 2018. Dene-Yeniseian: Progress and unanswered questions. Notes/ Discussion. Diachronica 35(2). 277–295. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). The paper connects semantic universals, Ket and Dene folklore, and also comparative historical linguistic research. In analyzing a group of cognates, the paper’s aim is to discuss the cultural, cognitive and pragmatic reasons that enabled these cognates to survive for several thousand years. Our main point is that factors such as the relative importance of linguistic signs in a language community, lingual conservatism of semantic universals and the distinctiveness of its referents, probable frequency with which these words were used, and their cultural symbolism in relatively similar environments significantly contributed to their survival in ethnic groups belonging to the proposed language family. Our cross-disciplinary study helps us identify the essential place of eco-ethnic material in interpreting cross-continental similarities and emphasizes the integrative role of culture. It will be argued that the eco-ethnic lexicon reflected by the Dene-Yeniseian cognates reveals several thousand years of diachronic cognitive processes.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Cognitive phenomena and cognates in the Dene-Yeniseian language family
    • 1.2A new approach to cognates
  • 2.Methodology and resources
  • 3.Data interpretation and discussion
  • 4.Case study
    • 4.1Yeniseian – Na-Dene: Earth
    • 4.2Yeniseian – Na-Dene: Trees
    • 4.3Yeniseian ‘dragonfly’ – Na-Dene ‘fly’
    • 4.4Yeniseian ‘mosquito/midge’ – Na-Dene ‘mosquito’
    • 4.5Yeniseian ‘eagle’ – Na-Dene ‘bald eagle’
    • 4.6Yeniseian (Ket tī·p, Yugh čīp) ‘dog’ – Na-Dene (PA ŧǝqʸ) ‘dog’
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Abbreviations
  • Note
  • References
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