Meaning of sprachbund | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A group of languages sharing a number of areal features (similar grammar, vocabulary, etc.) which are primarily due to language contact rather than cognation.
2. Alternative letter-case form of sprachbund.
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Equivalents

Examples

“The introduction of the new term Proto-Munda is justified by the fact that, as early as the Vedic period, the Munda languages had departed considerably from the Austro-Asiatic type⟳ of language and developed a character of their own⟳ brought about by a number⟳ of dialectal phonetic changes and the introduction of suffixes in the word-formation. Both phenomena mark⟳ the beginning of a process⟳ of "Dravidization" of the Munda tongues which has ultimately given them the character of agglutinating languages and has thus contributed to the growth of the Indian linguistic league (Sprachbund).”

“[…] Certainly it is 'nicer' to define⟳ a sprachbund by what appear⟳ to be exclusively shared features with differentiate it from its neighbors – just as it is 'nicer' to be able to define⟳ a dialect by a set⟳ of innovations which clearly mark⟳ it off from other, related dialects. In the case of dialect continua, it has been known for a long time that this approach⟳ is unrealistic and historically inaccurate […]”

“The linguist reader will recognize that the Takia/Waskia, Mixe Basque/Gascon, Romansch/Swiss German and Sauris German/Friulian pairs each form⟳ a small Sprachbund ('language alliance'). Probably the best-known Sprachbund consists of modern Greek, Albanian, Romanian, and the southern Slav languages Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian, which through centuries of contact⟳ have⟳ undergone metatypy to the extent that there are very close⟳ semantic and syntactic […]”

“Substantial work⟳ has been done to define⟳ sprachbunds, with the result⟳ that there now are a few regions in all major macro-regions of the world that can be defined in terms of language contact⟳. With regard to defining sprachbunds, two different stances can be distinguished. On the one hand it is argued that a definition of sprachbunds should highlight the fact that they are the result⟳ of language contact⟳, that is, of historical processes; […] On the other hand, sprachbunds are defined exclusively in terms of linguistic parameters without reference to the historical forces that gave rise⟳ to them.”

“The research⟳ program⟳ took shape⟳ after the Pragian structuralists made public their definition of the concept of Sprachbund. Since then various hypotheses have⟳ been put⟳ forward⟳ as to the subdivision of the continent into a number⟳ of distinct areas which are commonly termed Sprachbünde, linguistic areas or contact⟳ superposition zones[…].”

“The linguist reader will recognize that the Takia/Waskia, Mixe Basque/ Gascon, Romansch/Swiss German and Sauris German/Friulian pairs each form⟳ a small Sprachbund ('language alliance'). Probably the best-known Sprachbund consists of modern Greek, Albanian, Romanian, and the southern Slav languages Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian, which through centuries of contact⟳ have⟳ undergone metatypy to the extent that there are very close⟳ semantic and syntactic […]”

“This is the type⟳ of sociolinguistic situation in which a Sprachbund, or linguistic area, is likely to emerge⟳. This is how the Balkan linguistic area came into being: during the Middle Ages, several linguistic communities were interspersed in an area which was never subjected to strong political centralization.”

“The research⟳ program⟳ took shape⟳ after the Pragian structuralists made public their definition of the concept of Sprachbund. Since then various hypotheses have⟳ been put⟳ forward⟳ as to the subdivision of the continent into a number⟳ of distinct areas which are commonly termed Sprachbünde, linguistic areas or contact⟳ superposition zones[…].”

CEFR level