scholarly journals The riddle of Tasmanian languages

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1747) ◽  
pp. 4590-4595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Bowern
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Evolutionary Processes ◽  
Phylogenetic Methods ◽  
Linguistic History ◽  
Language Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
Source Materials ◽  
Insight Into

Recent work which combines methods from linguistics and evolutionary biology has been fruitful in discovering the history of major language families because of similarities in evolutionary processes. Such work opens up new possibilities for language research on previously unsolvable problems, especially in areas where information from other sources may be lacking. I use phylogenetic methods to investigate Tasmanian languages. Existing materials are so fragmentary that scholars have been unable to discover how many languages are represented in the sources. Using a clustering algorithm which identifies admixture, source materials representing more than one language are identified. Using the Neighbor-Net algorithm, 12 languages are identified in five clusters. Bayesian phylogenetic methods reveal that the families are not demonstrably related; an important result, given the importance of Tasmanian Aborigines for information about how societies have responded to population collapse in prehistory. This work provides insight into the societies of prehistoric Tasmania and illustrates a new utility of phylogenetics in reconstructing linguistic history.

Joost Halbertsma and the Lexicon Frisicum1

2019 ◽  
pp. 93-109
Author(s):  
Anne Dykstra
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Cultural Nationalism ◽  
Civil State ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
Linguistic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Insight Into

Joost Halbertsma’s Lexicon Frisicum, published by his son Tjalling in 1872, was the first dictionary to contain modern Frisian, spoken in the Dutch Province of Friesland. As such, it is considered the basis of modern Frisian lexicography. In his dictionary, Halbertsma focuses much attention on the cultural and linguistic history of the Frisians. At the same time, he was very concerned with the Netherlands as a free civil state, and he used ancient Frisian customs and habits to comment on the national and political situation of his time. Dykstra addresses criticism levelled at Halbertsma’s dictionary, such as that it lacked internal consistency and coherence, tends to digress, and uses Latin as meta-language, making it largely inaccessible to Halberstma’s contemporaries. Even with its shortcomings, Dykstra evaluates the ways in which Halbertsma’s Lexicon Frisicum provides insight into various aspects of nineteenth-century linguistics, lexicography, culture, and cultural nationalism.

Biological evolution

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Briggs ◽  
Hans Halvorson ◽  
Andrew Steane
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Biological Evolution ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Living Things ◽  
History Of ◽  
Informed Opinion ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
Insight Into

The chapter discusses the history of life on Earth, and the lessons to be learned from the neo-Darwinian synthesis of evolutionary biology. The long and complex sequence of events in the evolutionary history of life on Earth requires considered interpretation. The neo-Darwinian synthesis is well-supported by evidence and gives rich insight into this process, but does not itself furnish a complete explanation or understanding of living things. This is because a process of exploration can only explore; it cannot fully dictate and can only partially constrain what type of thing will be found. What is found is constrained by other considerations, such as what is possible, and what can make sense. A brief critique of some of Richard Dawkins’ work is given, and also of the movement known as ‘Intelligent Design’. Education policy is well served by a fair appraisal of informed opinion in this area.

Beyond Chinese Linguistic Imperialism: Multi-linguistic Policy

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baogang He
Keyword(s):  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Chinese Script ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Linguistic Imperialism ◽  
Linguistic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Insight Into

In discussing the erosion of Tibetan language teaching in Tibet, Chapter 9 explores China’s long history of ‘linguistic imperialism’ and asks how it is mediating, and perhaps even undermining, multicultural education in the PRC. It finds that China’s linguistic history has been one of linguistic imperialism in which China’s language policies have been shaped by the dominance of the Chinese script and by the state’s desire to create and maintain Great Unity. This chapter also offers insight into the probable future direction of linguistic trends of Tibetan language teaching, and suggests several ways in which China can go beyond linguistic imperialism in pursuing a plural and multi-linguistic language policy.

Influence of the tree prior and sampling scale on Bayesian phylogenetic estimates of the origin times of language families

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M Ritchie ◽  
Simon Y W Ho
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Language Evolution ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Phylogenetic Methods ◽  
History Of ◽  
Erroneous Estimate ◽  
Coalescent Tree ◽  
Lexical Data

Abstract Bayesian phylogenetic methods derived from evolutionary biology can be used to reconstruct the history of human languages using databases of cognate words. These analyses have produced exciting results regarding the origins and dispersal of linguistic and cultural groups through prehistory. Bayesian lexical dating requires the specification of priors on all model parameters. This includes the use of a prior on divergence times, often combined with a prior on tree topology and referred to as a tree prior. Violation of the underlying assumptions of the tree prior can lead to an erroneous estimate of the timescale of language evolution. To investigate these impacts, we tested the sensitivity of Bayesian dating to the tree prior in analyses of four lexical data sets. Our results show that estimates of the origin times of language families are robust to the choice of tree prior for lexical data, though less so than when Bayesian phylogenetic methods are used to analyse genetic data sets. We also used the relative fit of speciation and coalescent tree priors to determine the ability of speciation models to describe language diversification at four different taxonomic levels. We found that speciation priors were preferred over a constant-size coalescent prior regardless of taxonomic scale. However, data sets with narrower taxonomic and geographic sampling exhibited a poorer fit to ideal birth–death model expectations. Our results encourage further investigation into the nature of language diversification at different sampling scales.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic reconciliation reveals extensive ancestral recombination in Sarbecoviruses and the SARS-CoV-2 lineage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumaira Zaman ◽  
Samuel Sledzieski ◽  
Bonnie Berger ◽  
Yi-Chieh Wu ◽  
Mukul S. Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Viral Evolution ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Phylogenetic Methods ◽  
History Of ◽  
Tree Estimation ◽  
Phylogenetic Reconciliation ◽  
Horseshoe Bat ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Family Trees

An accurate understanding of the evolutionary history of rapidly-evolving viruses like SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is crucial to tracking and preventing the spread of emerging pathogens. However, viruses undergo frequent recombination, which makes it difficult to trace their evolutionary history using traditional phylogenetic methods. Here, we present a phylogenetic workflow, virDTL, for analyzing viral evolution in the presence of recombination. Our approach leverages reconciliation methods developed for inferring horizontal gene transfer in prokaryotes, and, compared to existing tools, is uniquely able to identify ancestral recombinations while accounting for several sources of inference uncertainty, including in the construction of a strain tree, estimation and rooting of gene family trees, and reconciliation itself. We apply this workflow to the Sarbecovirus subgenus and demonstrate how a principled analysis of predicted recombination gives insight into the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. In addition to providing confirming evidence for the horseshoe bat as its zoonotic origin, we identify several ancestral recombination events that merit further study.

Late Modern Lancashire English in lexicographical context: representations of Lancashire speech and the English Dialect Dictionary

English Today ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 60-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Ruano-García
Keyword(s):  
Large Body ◽  
Literary Tradition ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Lexical Variation ◽  
Linguistic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
English Dialect ◽  
Late Modern ◽  
Insight Into

The longstanding vernacular literary pedigree of the county of Lancashire has made it home to a large body of regional writings comparable only to those of the neighbouring Yorkshire. Both past and present scholarship have acknowledged this fact, arguing that the literary tradition of the dialect may be taken as a source to get some insight into the linguistic history of the county. Research so far concentrated on the linguistic mining of Lancashire literary texts has shown that they provide valuable guidance to approach the language of bygone times, especially in terms of phonology and morphology (see Brunner, 1920; Haworth, 1920, 1927; Whitehall, 1929; Shorrocks, 1988, 1992, 1999; Wagner, 1999; Ruano-García, 2007, 2010b). To my knowledge, there is however little research that has attempted to evaluate the lexicographic potential of these documents, and their contribution to Joseph Wright's English Dialect Dictionary (henceforth EDD), so as to further our understanding of lexical variation in regional Englishes of the Late Modern English period (LModE).

scholarly journals INSIGHT INTO THE LINGUISTIC HISTORY OF THE ETHNONYM "CHUKCHA"

2018 ◽  
pp. 247-254
Author(s):  
M. S. Teikin
Keyword(s):  
Russian Language ◽  
Soviet Regime ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Linguistic History ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Russian Language ◽  
Insight Into

Peoples of the North, though small-numbered, often obtain not one, but several names, which have the different frequency of use: they are self-names of specific groups and names given by their neighbours. The article deals with the evolution of the graphical depiction of the ethnonym Chukchi from the moment of its first appearance in documents of the mid-XVI century up to the final fixation of its spelling in the early XIX century’s legislation acts. The article also features the matter of regional Chukchi’s names and explains why the Russian language adopted this very ethnonym. The paper focuses on the peculiarities of the case inflection of the word Chukchi in the recent past. The author investigates the attempt to rename Chukchi to Luoravetlans, which the Soviet regime undertook in the pre-war period when many ethnonyms of the USSR peoples were changed, and explains why the new name did not take roots.

scholarly journals Тибето-монгольские традиции культа Майтреи в бурятском буддизме: освящение статуи Майтреи в Анинском дацане

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1331-1338
Author(s):  
Tsymzhit P. Vanchikova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Inner Life ◽  
Ancient India ◽  
Archival Document ◽  
History Of ◽  
Unique Source ◽  
Tibetan Studies ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Source Materials ◽  
Insight Into

Introduction. The article describes an archival document stored at the Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs (Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, SB RAS) and reviewing the temple’s construction and the Maitreya statue’s erection at Aninsky Datsan. The study provides insight into origins of the Maitreya cult dating back to ancient India. Goals. The paper aims to determine the authenticity of the data reported by Ven. Lodon and trace origins of the Maitreya cult, including those related to the consecration of relics. Materials. The essay entitled ‘History (Description) of the Burkhan (Bur. ‘deity statue’) at Big Maidari Aninsky Datsan’ was written by Ven. Lodon, ethnic Buryat, in 1915. The former is a garchak — inventory list — of various relics and objects embedded inside the statue. The written monument is valuable due to that it contains unique source materials and data on the history of Buddhism in Buryatia which reveal the inner life of the Buddhist monastery and its community, shows the relationships between the monastic sangha and lay believers, the Buddhist clergy and state authorities. Materials describing the festive events dedicated to the 1897 consecration of the Maitreya statue and the temple are interesting enough. Results. The examined ‘History of Burkhan’ is important not only because sources on the history of Buryat Buddhism are scarce enough and it gives an opportunity to reconstruct the long and convoluted history of the statue, but also because the original Maitreya statue itself never survived and was dramatically destroyed in the late 1930s.

Oral Testimony as Historical Source Material for the Reconstruction of the Judicial History of Shipping in India (1600-1800)

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Kamruzzman Chowdhary
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Maritime History ◽  
Historical Source ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Oral Testimony ◽  
History Of ◽  
Judicial History ◽  
Source Materials

This study was an attempt to understand how the available alternative source materials, such as oral testimonies can serve as valuable assets to unveiling certain aspects of maritime history in India. A number of themes in maritime history in India failed to get the attention of the generation of historians, because of the paucity of written documents. Unlike in Europe, the penning down of shipping activities was not a concern for the authorities at the port in India. The pamphlets and newsletters declared the scheduled departure of the ship in Europe but, in India, this was done verbally. Therefore, maritime history in India remained marginalised. Hence, in this article, I make an endeavour to perceive how the oral testimonies can help shed some new light on certain aspects of maritime history in India, such as life on the ship, maritime practices, and perceptions among the littoral people in coastal societies. This article also outlines an approach on how the broader question on the transformation of scattered maritime practices among coastal societies can be adapted and transferred into an organised institution of law by the nineteenth century, and how these can be pursued in future. I also suggest in this article that the role of Europeans, especially the British, in the process of transformation, can be investigated further through oral testimonies in corroboration with the colonial archival records.

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