Migracijske i etničke teme (Jun 1999)
Altaic, so far
Abstract
This article consists of free parts. In the first one is a bibliographical survey of the most important literature that appeared in the fields of study of individual five Altaic language groups (Japanese, Korean, Manchu-Tungusic, Mongolic, and Turkic) as well as comparative Altaic itself (including binary comparisons such as Koreo-Japonic) for the last thirty years. The progress in certain fields of Altaic linguistics was enormous within these years, and there is an obvious necessity for a general overview that is long overdue. The second part addresses a myth that Altaic languages do not share common basic vocabulary, particularly that denoting body parts. Finally, the third part offers a short sketch of comparative verbal morphology, including all five Altaic branches, a task that has not been undertaken. In the conclusion, the author outlines the most fundamental problems standing before the Altaic linguistics.
