Linguistic Diversity in the Caucasus
Posted: 6 Jun 2008
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Linguistic Diversity in the Caucasus
Linguistic Diversity in the Caucasus
Abstract
The Caucasus is characterized by a relatively high level of linguistic diversity, whether measured in terms of number of languages, number of language families, or structural properties. This is in stark contrast to low levels of linguistic diversity in neighboring areas (Europe, Middle East), although the Caucasus does not reach such high levels of linguistic diversity as are found in New Guinea, and thee is a difference between greater diversity in the North Caucasus, less in the South Caucasus. Illustrative structural properties show not only idiosyncratic properties of individual languages and families but also features that have spread across the boundaries separating languages and families, sometimes with variation across languages with regard to finer points of detail, although there are few features characterizing the Caucasus as a single linguistic area. Social factors have probably played at least as important a role as geography in the development of linguistic diversity in the Caucasus.
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