Re: [tied] Re: Indo-Iranian

14-06-03 22:32, Alexander Stolbov wrote:

Thank you, Piotr.

The order of branching is clear here.

 

I'd like to return to the Dardic problem now.

It was suggested to divide so called Dardic languages into 6 genetically homogeneous groups (Chitral, Kunar etc.). In other words we know now 8 different Indo-Aryan sub-branches - Mitanni IA, the Indic languages proper (the Prakrits, Sanskrit, Vedic and their descendants) and 6 other independent "Dardic" subgroups.

The first branch which split off was Mitanni IA.

What a branch was the second? We know it was not Indic proper - otherwise the Dardic languages would form a cluster.

Why's that? The Dardic languages are derived from the "Prakrits", i.e. the regional varieties of Middle Indic. Place them among "their descendants", not outside. They have no special status within modern Indic.

This means that some of the Dardic branches split off earlier, other remained a whole with Indic proper (future Prakrits).

The question is: which of the Dardic branches was the last one parted with Indic proper?

It's a bit futile to try to construct a finely detailed family tree for a dialectal network -- and that's what modern Indic is like. Early splits must have been largely obliterated due to areal convergence. As I said above, there's nothing peculiar about the Dardic languages, except for their eccentric geographical position.

Piotr