Germania Semitica

Germania Semitica explores prehistoric language contact in general, and attempts to identify the languages involved in shaping Germanic in particular. The book deals with a topic outside the scope of other disciplines concerned with prehistory, such as archaeology and genetics, drawing its conclusions from the linguistic evidence alone, relying on language typology and areal probability. The data for reconstruction comes from Germanic syntax, phonology, etymology, religious loan names, and the writing system, more precisely from word order, syntactic constructions, word formation, irregularities in phonological form, lexical peculiarities, and the structure and rules of the Germanic runic alphabet. It is demonstrated that common descent is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for reconstruction. Instead, lexical and structural parallels between Germanic and Semitic languages are explored and interpreted in the framework of modern language contact theory.

1;Preface;7 2;Introduction: Methodology of research in prehistoric language contact;13 3;1. Zur Entstehung des Germanischen;23 4;2. English as a Celtic language: Atlantic influences from above and from below;55 5;3. Amsel und Merula;65 6;4. Germania Semitica: +abr- strong, with a reflection on Abraham/Theodoric;71 7;5. Atlantis Semitica: Structural contact features in Celtic and English;79 8;6. Germania Semitica: +aþal- (OE æðel-, G Adel) nobility With an appendix on Gk. At..s;99 9;7. Germania Semitica: Pre-Gmc. +-at- in E maiden, G Magd/ Mädchen, Goth, magaps;115 10;8. Key issues in English etymology;129 11;9. Germania Semitica: Gmc. +drag-, +trek- (Lat. trah-, Gk. t...-);157 12;10. On the rise of Celtic syntax in Middle English;169 13;11. Semitic . Celtic . English: The transitivity of language contact;201 14;12. Zur Etymologie von Rauch und riechen;241 15;13. PGmc. +drepa-, G treffen to hitfg;247 16;14. Germania Semitica: +sibjö;255 17;15. Languages in prehistoric Europe north of the Alps;279 18;16. Syntax und Sprachkontakt: Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der indogermanischen Sprachen des Nordwestens;291 19;17. Note on the etymology of PGmc. +smitan and +smiþaz (E smite, smith, G schmeißen, Schmied, etc.);321 20;18. Sprachgeburt durch Sprachkontakt: Die Entstehung des Englischen;333 21;19. Phol, Balder, and the birth of Germanic;367 22;20. Glauben wir noch an die Lautgesetze? Zur Etymologie von Phol und Balder im Zweiten Merseburger Zauberspruch;383 23;21. The name of the Isle of Thanet;413 24;22. Was Proto-Germanic a creole language?;445 25;23. Münze, mint, and money. An etymology for Latin Moneta With appendices on Carthaginian Tanit and the Indo-European month word;469 26;24. Neer-a-face : A note on the etymology of penny, with an appendix on the etymology of pane;489 27;25. A note on the etymology of Germanic +skellingaz shilling: With an appendix on Latin siliqua a small coin;507 28;26. Grimms Law and loan-words;519 29;27. Germanische Runen und phönizisches
Alphabet;551 30;28. Zur Reihung der Runen im älteren Fu{)ark;613 31;29. Semitic influence in Celtic? Yes and No;645 32;30. The source of the Ing rune and of the futhark;657 33;Abbreviations;669 34;References;675 35;Index of Atlantic / Hamito-Semitic etymologies;737 36;Index of Hamito-Semitic words, word forms, and roots;745 37;Index of Vasconic etymologies;749 38;Index of Toponyms;751 39;Subject Index;753