Isogloss

Anisogloss,also called aheterogloss,is the geographic boundary of a certainlinguisticfeature, such as thepronunciationof avowel,the meaning of a word, or the use of some morphological or syntactic feature. Isoglosses are a subject of study indialectology,in which they demarcate the differences between regionaldialectsof a language; inareal linguistics,in which they represent the extent ofborrowingof features betweenlanguages in contactwith one another; and in thewave modelofhistorical linguistics,in which they indicate the similarities and differences between members of alanguage family.

Majordialectsare typically demarcated bybundlesof isoglosses, such as theBenrath linethat distinguishesHigh Germanfrom the otherWest Germanic languagesand theLa Spezia–Rimini Linethat divides the Northern Italian languages and Romance languages west of Italy from Central Italian dialects and Romance languages east of Italy. However, anindividualisogloss may or may not have any coterminus with alanguage border.For example, thefront-roundingof/y/cuts across France and Germany, while the /y/ is absent from Italian and Spanish words that arecognateswith the /y/-containing French words.

One of the best-known isoglosses is thecentum-satem isogloss.

Similar to an isogloss, anisographis a distinguishing feature of a writing system. Both concepts are also used inhistorical linguistics.

Etymology

The termisogloss(Ancient Greekἴσοςísos"equal, similar" andγλῶσσαglōssa"tongue, dialect, language" ) is inspired bycontour lines,or isopleths, such asisobars.However, the isogloss separates rather than connects points. Consequently, it has been proposed for the termheterogloss(ἕτεροςhéteros"other" ) to be used instead.^[1]

Examples

Centum–satem isogloss

The centum–satem isogloss of theIndo-European languagefamily relates to the different evolution of thedorsal consonantsofProto-Indo-European(PIE). In the standard reconstruction, three series of dorsals are recognised:

Labiovelars:	*kʷ,	*gʷ,	*gʷʰ
Velars:	*k,	*g,	*gʰ
Palatals:	*ḱ,	*ǵ,	*ǵʰ

In some branches (for exampleGreek,ItalicandGermanic), the palatals merged with the velars: PIE*keup-"tremble (inwardly)" becameLatincupiō"desire" and*ḱm̥tom"hundred" became Latincentum(pronounced [kentum]); but*kʷo-"interrogative pronoun"becamequō"how? where?". They are known ascentumbranches, named after the Latin word forhundred.

In other branches (for example,Balto-SlavicandIndo-Iranian), the labiovelars merged with the velars: PIE*keup-becameVedic Sanskritkopáyati"shaken" and*kʷo-becameAvestankō"who?"; but*ḱm̥tombecame Avestansatəm.They are known assatembranches, after the Avestan word forhundred.^[2]^[3]

Since the Balto-Slavic family, the Indo-Iranian family, and the othersatemfamilies are spoken in adjacent geographic regions, they can be grouped by an isogloss: a geographic line separatingsatembranches on one side fromcentumbranches on the other.

North–Midland isogloss (American English)

A major isogloss inAmerican Englishhas been identified as theNorth–Midlandisogloss, which demarcates numerous linguistic features, including theNorthern Cities vowel shift:regions north of the line (includingWestern New York;Cleveland, Ohio;lower Michigan;northernIllinois;and easternWisconsin) have the shift, while regions south of the line (includingPennsylvania,central and southernOhio,and most ofIndiana) do not.

Northwest Semitic

A feature of the ancientNorthwest Semitic languagesiswbecomingyat the beginning of a word. Thus, inProto-Semiticand subsequent non-NorthwestSemitic languagesand dialects, theroot lettersfor a word for "child" werew-l-d.However, in the ancient Northwest Semitic languages, the word wasy-l-d,withw->y-.

Similarly, Proto-Semiticābecomesōin theCanaanite dialectsof Northwest Semitic.^[4]Within theAramaic languagesand dialects of Northwest Semitic, the historicāis preserved. Thus, an ancient Northwest Semitic language whose historicābecameōcan be classed as part of the Canaanite branch of Northwest Semitic.

Such features can be used as data of fundamental importance for the purposes of linguistic classification.

Isographs

Just as there are distinguishing features of related languages, there are also distinguishing features of related scripts.^[5]

For example, a distinguishing feature of theIron AgeOldHebrew scriptis that the lettersbet,dalet,ayinandreshdo not have an open head, but contemporaryAramaichas open-headed forms. Similarly, thebetof Old Hebrew has a distinctive stance (it leans to the right), but thebetof the Aramaic andPhoenician scriptsseries has a different stance (in both, it leans to the left).

In 2006,Christopher Rollstonsuggested using the termisographto designate a feature of the script that distinguishes it from a related script series, such as a feature that distinguishes the script of Old Hebrew from Old Aramaic and Phoenician.^[6]

References

^Sihler, Andrew L.(2000).Language History.Current issues in linguistic theory. Vol. 191. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing. p. 170.ISBN 90-272-3698-4.
^Fortson IV, Benjamin W. (2004).Indo-European Language and Culture.Blackwell Publishing. pp. 52–54.ISBN 1-4051-0316-7.
^Rix, Helmut(2001).Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben.Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag. p. 359.ISBN 3-89500-219-4.
^Garr, W. Randall (2 June 2008).Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine: 1000-586 BCE.Eisenbrauns.ISBN 978-1-57506-091-0.
^Daniels, Peter; Bright, William, eds. (8 February 1996).The World's Writing Systems.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-507993-0.
^Rollston, Christopher A. (2006). "Scribal Education in Ancient Israel: The Old Hebrew Epigraphic Evidence".Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.344:47–74.doi:10.1086/BASOR25066977.S2CID 160670117.

Bibliography

Chambers, J.K.; Trudgill, Peter (28 December 1998).Dialectology.Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics (2nd ed.).Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0-521-59646-7.
Woodard, Roger D. (31 May 2004).The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages.New York: Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0-521-56256-2.

External links

An example of an isogloss in Southern England.
Beyond the Isogloss: The Isograph in Dialect Topography:A discussion of the shortcomings and oversimplifications of using isoglosses.
On Some Acoustic Correlates of Isoglossy:A humorous analysis of Russian isoglossy.
Spanish-language slang.

[1] Sihler, Andrew L.(2000).Language History.Current issues in linguistic theory. Vol. 191. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing. p. 170.ISBN 90-272-3698-4.

[2] Fortson IV, Benjamin W. (2004).Indo-European Language and Culture.Blackwell Publishing. pp. 52–54.ISBN 1-4051-0316-7.

[3] Rix, Helmut(2001).Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben.Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag. p. 359.ISBN 3-89500-219-4.

[4] Garr, W. Randall (2 June 2008).Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine: 1000-586 BCE.Eisenbrauns.ISBN 978-1-57506-091-0.

[5] Daniels, Peter; Bright, William, eds. (8 February 1996).The World's Writing Systems.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-507993-0.

[6] Rollston, Christopher A. (2006). "Scribal Education in Ancient Israel: The Old Hebrew Epigraphic Evidence".Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.344:47–74.doi:10.1086/BASOR25066977.S2CID 160670117.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]