Indo-European Language and Culture

Synopsis

This revised and expanded edition provides a comprehensive overview of comparative Indo-European linguistics and the branches of the Indo-European language family, covering both linguistic and cultural material. Now offering even greater coverage than the first edition, it is the definitive introduction to the field.

• Updated, corrected, and expanded edition, containing new illustrations of selected texts and inscriptions, and text samples with translations and etymological commentary
  
• Extensively covers individual histories of both ancient and modern languages of the Indo-European family
  
• Provides an overview of Proto-Indo-European culture, society, and language
  
• Designed for use in courses, with exercises and suggestions for further reading included in each chapter
  
• Includes maps, a glossary, a bibliography, and comprehensive word and subject indexes

Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction

* Presents the Indo-European language family and its significance.
* Provides a brief overview of its history and geographical distribution.
* Discusses the methods for reconstructing Proto-Indo-European (PIE).

Real Example: The word "father" in several Indo-European languages:

* Proto-Indo-European: *ph₂tḗr
* Sanskrit: pitá
* Old Persian: pitā
* Greek: patḗr
* Latin: pater

Chapter 2: Phonology

* Describes the sound system of PIE, including consonants, vowels, and their characteristics.
* Explains the laws of sound change that have affected Indo-European languages.
* Provides examples of sound correspondences between different languages.

Real Example: The Proto-Indo-European sound sequence *kʷ* became "p" in Germanic languages, as seen in the following words:

* Proto-Indo-European: *kʷetwóres
* Proto-Germanic: *feðwōr
* English: four

Chapter 3: Morphology

* Outlines the grammatical structure of Indo-European languages.
* Examines the different word classes, their inflections, and their functions.
* Discusses the evolution of morphological systems in different branches of the family.

Real Example: The Latin noun "domus" (house) has the following inflections:

* Nominative: domus
* Genitive: domus
* Dative: domui
* Accusative: domum

Chapter 4: Syntax

* Examines the word order, sentence structure, and grammatical relations in Indo-European languages.
* Discusses the use of case systems and syntactic devices such as prepositions and conjunctions.
* Analyzes the similarities and differences in syntax across the Indo-European family.

Real Example: The following sentence in Proto-Indo-European follows a nominative-accusative case system:

* *Sómos esmi h₁éḱuos* (I am a horse)

Chapter 5: Vocabulary

* Presents the basic vocabulary of PIE and its common cognates in different Indo-European languages.
* Explores the semantic shifts and changes in meaning that have occurred over time.
* Discusses the use of loanwords and the influence of other languages on Indo-European vocabulary.

Real Example: The Proto-Indo-European word *génos* (kind, race) has cognates in the following languages:

* Sanskrit: jánas
* Old Persian: jana
* Greek: génos
* Latin: genus

Chapter 6: Culture and Society

* Examines the cultural and social practices reconstructed from the linguistic data of Indo-European languages.
* Discusses the kinship systems, religious beliefs, economic organization, and political structures of the Proto-Indo-European speakers.
* Explores the archaeological evidence that supports and complements the linguistic reconstructions.

Real Example: The Proto-Indo-European word *déiwos* (god) suggests the existence of a celestial deity in the Proto-Indo-European culture.