Page 62 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 11(1) (2023)
P. 62
dia universitatis her editati, letnik 11 (2023), številk a 1 / volume 11 (2023), number 1 62Introduction1This article aims to provide a critical anal-
ysis of the theoretical and methodological ap-
hereditatiIn genealogical linguistic research within proach in defining the Central European con-
Slavic comparative linguistics, the geneses of vergence area. First, the structural linguistic
the individual Slavic languages and their di- features of the languages of this hypothesized
alect macro-areas have been relatively well re- linguistic league are presented in an overview.
searched.2 However, many questions remain un- In addition to that, the definition of the Central
answered concerning the formation of the Slavic European Sprachbund is critically assessed from
languages within the different hypothesized lin- the viewpoint of historical linguistics. In direct
guistic or convergence areas (German Sprach- relation to this, the theory and methodology of
bund, Italian lega linguistica, Russian jazykovoj genealogical linguistics and areal language ty-
sojuz). Apart from the evolution within the Slav- pology are confronted. Last, some theoretical-
ic dialect continuum, the Slavic languages alleg- ly and methodologically justifiable objectives in
edly form a part of different convergence areas. As the investigation of the convergence phenomena
far as the ‘major’ linguistic areas are concerned, in Central Europe are delineated.
Slavic is supposed to belong to the so-called Euro-
pean linguistic area or Standard Average Europe- Defining the Central European convergence
an (SAE), with West Germanic, Gallo-Romance area
and northern Italo-Romance playing the role of In the context of areal typology of European lan-
‘core languages’ and sharing most of the defining guages, the languages in Central Europe are sup-
features, while other European languages seem posed to belong to the so-called Central Europe-
to take on a ‘peripheral’ position (Haspelmath an convergence area (Kurzová 1996, 2019; Skála
2001, 1493). As far as ‘minor’ European linguis- 1998, 1999).4 In the following paragraphs a brief
tic areas involving Slavic are concerned, at least summary of the definition of the latter will be
two have found their way into scholarly discus- given, as formulated in Kurzová (1996) (with
sion, namely the Balkan Sprachbund and the some additions published in Kurzová (2019)).
Central European convergence area. The former
has actually been present in Slavic studies since According to Kurzová, the Central Europe-
the beginning (cf. Kopitar 1829; Miklosich 1861), an convergence area would include German and
while the latter has been receiving heightened at- Hungarian as well as the so-called Central Euro-
tention since the 1990s (cf. Kurzová 1996, 2019). pean Slavic languages. Amongst the latter, Czech
In addition, attempts have been made recently to and Slovak would represent ‘core’ languages of
also include in the list the so-called Alpine con- the purported linguistic league, while Polish
vergence area (German Alpensprachbund).3 and Slovenian would take a ‘peripheral’ position,
with ‘Serbo-Croatian’ representing a transition-
1 The present contribution builds on some of the al language zone between the Central Europe-
considerations on this topic that were partly presented in
Šekli (2020, 2021 and 2022). venian (precisely, the Slovenian dialect of Rezija/Resia in
the locality of Osojane/Oseacco) Injän tve dugave ni par-
2 For a more accurate presentation of the formation of Slavic haaö zapïsane od avokatä = Italian Adesso I tuoi debiti ven-
languages and their dialect macro-areas as well as for the gono annotati dall’avvocato, ‘Now your debts are being put
criteria of their genealogical linguistic classification see down by a solicitor’ (Pila 2021). However, from the cited
Šekli (2018). examples it is evident that what we are dealing with here
is simply the unilateral influence of Romance varieties on
3 The Alpine convergence area would comprise some Ro- German and Slovenian dialects!
mance, German and Slovenian varieties in the Alps (cf. 4 In the original papers on the topic the following
Gaeta and Seiler 2021). One of the more conspicuous char- terminology is used: Sprachareal, ‘linguistic area’ (Kurzová
acteristics of this convergence area is allegedly the venitive 1996), Sprachbund, ‘linguistic league’ (Skála 1998, 1999),
passive, present in Romance as well as Bavarian and Ale- and convergence area (Kurzová 2019).
mannic varieties of German, and some Slovenian dialects
in contact with Friulian and Italian, e.g. dial. German Då
kummt de nei(e) Schul gebaut = Italian Qui viene costrui-
ta la nuova scuola, ‘A new school is being built’, dial. Slo-
ysis of the theoretical and methodological ap-
hereditatiIn genealogical linguistic research within proach in defining the Central European con-
Slavic comparative linguistics, the geneses of vergence area. First, the structural linguistic
the individual Slavic languages and their di- features of the languages of this hypothesized
alect macro-areas have been relatively well re- linguistic league are presented in an overview.
searched.2 However, many questions remain un- In addition to that, the definition of the Central
answered concerning the formation of the Slavic European Sprachbund is critically assessed from
languages within the different hypothesized lin- the viewpoint of historical linguistics. In direct
guistic or convergence areas (German Sprach- relation to this, the theory and methodology of
bund, Italian lega linguistica, Russian jazykovoj genealogical linguistics and areal language ty-
sojuz). Apart from the evolution within the Slav- pology are confronted. Last, some theoretical-
ic dialect continuum, the Slavic languages alleg- ly and methodologically justifiable objectives in
edly form a part of different convergence areas. As the investigation of the convergence phenomena
far as the ‘major’ linguistic areas are concerned, in Central Europe are delineated.
Slavic is supposed to belong to the so-called Euro-
pean linguistic area or Standard Average Europe- Defining the Central European convergence
an (SAE), with West Germanic, Gallo-Romance area
and northern Italo-Romance playing the role of In the context of areal typology of European lan-
‘core languages’ and sharing most of the defining guages, the languages in Central Europe are sup-
features, while other European languages seem posed to belong to the so-called Central Europe-
to take on a ‘peripheral’ position (Haspelmath an convergence area (Kurzová 1996, 2019; Skála
2001, 1493). As far as ‘minor’ European linguis- 1998, 1999).4 In the following paragraphs a brief
tic areas involving Slavic are concerned, at least summary of the definition of the latter will be
two have found their way into scholarly discus- given, as formulated in Kurzová (1996) (with
sion, namely the Balkan Sprachbund and the some additions published in Kurzová (2019)).
Central European convergence area. The former
has actually been present in Slavic studies since According to Kurzová, the Central Europe-
the beginning (cf. Kopitar 1829; Miklosich 1861), an convergence area would include German and
while the latter has been receiving heightened at- Hungarian as well as the so-called Central Euro-
tention since the 1990s (cf. Kurzová 1996, 2019). pean Slavic languages. Amongst the latter, Czech
In addition, attempts have been made recently to and Slovak would represent ‘core’ languages of
also include in the list the so-called Alpine con- the purported linguistic league, while Polish
vergence area (German Alpensprachbund).3 and Slovenian would take a ‘peripheral’ position,
with ‘Serbo-Croatian’ representing a transition-
1 The present contribution builds on some of the al language zone between the Central Europe-
considerations on this topic that were partly presented in
Šekli (2020, 2021 and 2022). venian (precisely, the Slovenian dialect of Rezija/Resia in
the locality of Osojane/Oseacco) Injän tve dugave ni par-
2 For a more accurate presentation of the formation of Slavic haaö zapïsane od avokatä = Italian Adesso I tuoi debiti ven-
languages and their dialect macro-areas as well as for the gono annotati dall’avvocato, ‘Now your debts are being put
criteria of their genealogical linguistic classification see down by a solicitor’ (Pila 2021). However, from the cited
Šekli (2018). examples it is evident that what we are dealing with here
is simply the unilateral influence of Romance varieties on
3 The Alpine convergence area would comprise some Ro- German and Slovenian dialects!
mance, German and Slovenian varieties in the Alps (cf. 4 In the original papers on the topic the following
Gaeta and Seiler 2021). One of the more conspicuous char- terminology is used: Sprachareal, ‘linguistic area’ (Kurzová
acteristics of this convergence area is allegedly the venitive 1996), Sprachbund, ‘linguistic league’ (Skála 1998, 1999),
passive, present in Romance as well as Bavarian and Ale- and convergence area (Kurzová 2019).
mannic varieties of German, and some Slovenian dialects
in contact with Friulian and Italian, e.g. dial. German Då
kummt de nei(e) Schul gebaut = Italian Qui viene costrui-
ta la nuova scuola, ‘A new school is being built’, dial. Slo-
