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CAUCASIAN LANGUAGES

A North West Caucasian Linguistic Reader Compiled, analyzed, and translated by John Colarusso McMaster University with the help of B. George Hewitt and Zaira Khiba Hewitt for the Abzhwi Abkhaz text This Reader in North West Caucasian languages brings together for the first time grammatical sketches and examples from all the languages of this typologically unusual family, including three dialects of Circassian and three of Abkhaz- Abaza, plus Ubykh. The texts are traditional tales, including two pagan hymns, all of which have been phonemicized (with an 81st consonant added to Ubykh), morphologically analyzed, glossed, and translated. This volume will be of use to those who wish to maintain these languages or to revive them, since all are now endangered. Theoretical linguists will also find this volume interesting for the numerous unusual features that these languages exhibit. Their large consonantal inventories and vertical vowel systems are known. In addition these languages also have polypersonal verbs that convey the usual argument structure, but also pragmatic, syntactic, referential, and spatial information. They are split ergative, with Abkhaz-Abaza showing morphological ergativity because of a lack of case systems. The latter languages also show rightward wh-movement. Circassian shows rightward clefting, including clefted questions. All have headless relative constructions. Verb cliticization is found in Abkhaz-Abaza along with verb chaining. Most vocabulary, including many core items, is built up by extensive compounding processes. They offer a rich area for study. ISBN 9783862886623. LINCOM Studies in Caucasian Linguistics 21. 292pp. 2015. Georgian Myths and Folktales Shorena Kurtsikidze (tr.) University of California, Berkeley Introduction by Shorena Kurtsikidze and Vakhang Chikovani This publication intends to show the distinct character of Georgian folk narratives that are as diverse as the country’s geography itself. It offers the translation of the selected myths and folktales, many of which represent the Georgian regional dialect versions and linguistically complicated texts, some of which quite differ from the present-day standard Georgian. Every attempt has been made to preserve the original essence of the texts and the cultural context. The publication includes original translations of forty Georgian folk tales and fifteen myths. The latter are stories representing mythologized chronicles of “holy wars” of old times, once carried out on the border of Europe and Asia by the ancestors of the Georgian highlanders. These mythological narratives may be considered as unparalleled examples of mythologizing real events that have taken place in the past, as well as incomparable representations of demonizing the opponent image. The introduction, notes and glossary of the publication help the reader to better understand the cultural and historical contexts of the traditional Georgian folk narratives. ISBN 9783962060381. lincom pocket 26. 330pp. 2019. Pazar Laz Balkız Öztürk & Markus A. Pöchtrager (eds.) Boğaziçi University Contributors: Aslı Göksel, Balkız Öztürk, Betül Emgin, Eser Taylan, İsmail Avcı Bucak’lişi, Markus A. Pöchtrager, Neşe Kaya, Ömer Demirok, Özge Sarıgül, Ümit Atlamaz This grammar presents the essential features of the Pazar dialect of Laz, also known as Atinan. Laz is a Caucasian language mainly spoken in Turkey. It belongs to the subgroup called the South-Caucasian branch, along with Megrelian, Georgian and Svan. Laz is an endangered language. The number of speakers is estimated to range between 50.000 and 500.000. Most of the data for this grammatical sketch were collected from a native speaker of Pazar Laz, during a course on linguistic field methods at Boğaziçi University in Spring 2010, taught by Balkız Öztürk and Markus A. Pöchtrager. The grammar was jointly written by the students and the faculty members who attended this course. Additional material comes from three different research projects conducted by the faculty members (Aslı Göksel, Balkız Öztürk and Markus A. Pöchtrager) funded by the Boğaziçi University Scientific Research Fund. The present text discusses the phonology, morphology and syntax of Pazar Laz in great detail, supported by roughly 600 examples, and closes with a fully glossed text which illustrates many of the topics covered in the main text. It will be of interest to a wide variety of scholars, from experts on Caucasian languages to theoretical linguists. ISBN 9783862881499. Languages of the World /Materials 484. 182pp. 2011.