Re: s-stems in Slavic and Germanic

From: tgpedersen
Message: 62945
Date: 2009-02-09

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> --- On Mon, 2/9/09, altamix <alxmoeller@...> wrote:
>
> > From: altamix <alxmoeller@...>
> > Subject: [tied] Re: s-stems in Slavic and Germanic
> > To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Monday, February 9, 2009, 6:45 AM
> > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen"
> > <tgpedersen@> wrote:
> >
> > > > I don't think non-native speakers "ran" German or Russian,
> > > > otherwise these languages would be very different today,
> > > > wouldn't they? I think it depends on the language, each
> > > > language's particular situation.
> > >
> > > Turkic-speakers 'ran' Bulgarian and Macedonian, and today they
> > > have no case system, unlike all other Slavic languages.
> >
> > < SNIP >
> > > Torsten
> > >
> >
> > are you sure that Turkic-speakers are these who influenced
> > Bulgarian language? So far I know, their influence on the
> > Bulgarian language is reduced just to words borrowing and
> > eventually some sufixes, mostly obsolete now in the language. I
> > remember about Bulgarian as beeing said, the Romance and
> > "Thracic" should be these who influenced the language. The
> > Turkish Bulgars it is said to have been assimilated and they
> > should left just a few traces in the language, most of them very
> > disputet, even today. Beside of the old Bulgars and beside of
> > the Otoman Turks, the other Turkish speaking people ( Avars,
> > Cumans, etc) could not influence the language, at least not in
> > the manner of losing its flexion.
> >
> > Alex
>
> It was probably a combination of the effect of a succession of
Thracian, Ancient Macedonian, Greek, Latin, pre-Romanian, Bulgar
Turkish and Slavic spoken in the same place in a span of c. 1000
years. That would do wonders to any grammar.
>

Please don't try to confuse the picture. The thing that wreaks havoc
with a grammar is the learners being on top. For such a language to
survive the contemptuous attitude of the strangers in control, there
has to be a reversal of fate, with reversal of attitude as a
consequence, like the Normans giving up their ambitions in France, or
the Turkic peoples (Avars, Cumans etc.) being defeated in the Balkans.


Torsten