Cited by 4Linguistics and language evolutionLanguage, Linguistics, Cultural AnalysisNorth African History and Literature

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 17 of the 17 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 1 of the 31 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Sibilants in Libyco-Berber

Open access
Kossman, Maarten·2021·Journal of the American Oriental Society

Abstract

The second-century bce Libyco-Berber inscriptions from Dougga (present-day Tunisia) have seven different signs for sibilants. In this article the sibilant system of these inscriptions and of the language they represent is studied in detail. It is shown that the different signs are not just graphemic variants but represent different pronunciations. It is also shown that there is a possibility that the seven signs in fact represent three or four articulations with a length contrast, even though the evidence is very weak. As Proto-Berber has been reconstructed with only three sibilants (+ length opposition), the choice of how to analyze the seven Libyco-Berber sibilant signs has important implications as to how the relationship between Libyco-Berber and Proto-Berber is to be assessed.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.7817/jameroriesoci.140.4.0875

Cites

17 of 17 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

28 Own interpretation · 23 Sources not found · 14 No basis given · 8 Own result · 1 Partly supported

Show all 44 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 22
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 12
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
30 of 30
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The Dougga inscriptions constitute a sufficiently homogeneous linguistic corpus to be analyzed as a single phonological system.

    “These are the official inscriptions from the city of Dougga in present-day Tunisia (Latin: Thugga; Punic and Libyco-Berber: tbgg), a closely related group of texts using the same script, and different from all other Libyco-Berber inscriptions in that they are written from right to left rather than from bottom to top .”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The presence of long consonant signs at the beginning of an orthographic word would point to an initial vowel.

    “Thus, one could assume that the presence of long consonant signs at the beginning of an orthographic word would point to an initial vowel .”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Berber has an opposition between long and short consonants.

    “Berber-like many other Afroasiatic languages-has an opposition between long (”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In some cases, the basic pronunciation of a single consonant changes when it is lengthened.

    “In many cases, this is purely an opposition of length, but in other cases the basic pronunciation of the single consonant changes when it is lengthened.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In most Berber languages, short [ɣ] corresponds to long [qː].

    “Thus, in most Berber languages, short [ɣ] corresponds to long [qː], showing a difference in length, closure, and voicing.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In most modern Berber languages, long sibilants do not have phonetic differences beyond length.

    “In most modern Berber languages, sibilants are among the consonants that do not have such differences, and the long (”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Proto-Berber has three reconstructible sibilants.

    “All in all, we are thus confronted with seven pronunciations in Libyco-Berber as opposed to only three reconstructible sibilants in proto-Berber .”
7 of 7

Citations

Cites

Show all 15 references

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Chabot, Jean-Baptiste. 1918. Punica (fin). Journal Asiatique, 11th ser ., 12: 249-302 .
  2. ---. 1921. Mélanges épigraphiques. Journal Asiatique, 11th ser ., 17: 76-96 .
  3. Dolgopoľskij, Aron B. 1976. Numidijskoe (vostočnolivijskoe) piśmo Severnoj Afriki. In Tajny drevnix piśmen-Problemy dešifrovki, ed. Igor M. Ďjakonov. Pp. 384-443. Moscow: Progress.
  4. Militarev, Aleksander Ju . 1994 . Glazami lingvista: Garamantida v kontekste severoafrikanskoj istorii . In Garamantida (afrikanskaja Atlantida), ed. Ju. M. Kobiščanov and A. Ju. Militarev. Pp. 230-82. Moscow: Vostočnaja literatura.
  5. Springer Bunk, Renata Ana . 2014 . Die libysch-berberischen Inschriften der Kanarischen Inseln in ihrem Felsbildkontext. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe .

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Metadata

Authors
Kossman, M.
Venue
Journal of the American Oriental Society
Published
2021-09-19
Volume
140
Issue
4
ISSN
  • 0003-0279 (ISSN-L)
  • 2169-2289
OpenAlex
W3112528180
Cited by
4
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 2
FWCI
2.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of the American Oriental Society (publishedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Linguistics and language evolution
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › North African History and Literature
Keywords
sibilants, phonetic reconstruction

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Sibilants in Libyco-Berber. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.7817/jameroriesoci.140.4.0875
The paper
Kossman, M. (2021). Sibilants in Libyco-Berber. Journal of the American Oriental Society. https://doi.org/10.7817/jameroriesoci.140.4.0875