Communication via Speech Contacts: The Case of the ‘Rhetoric’. Contrastive Studies in Semitic and Indo-European Conceptual Continuity and Divergence of a Type of Speech as Criteria for Genuine Relationships of Related Languages

Abstract

In this article we apply a method of proof for conceptual consistency in a long historical range taking the example of rhetoric and persuasion. We analyze the evidentially present linguistic features of this concept within three linguistic areas: the Indo-European languages, the Semitic languages, and the Afro-Asiatic languages. We have chosen the case of the concept ‘rhetoric’ / ’persuasion’ as paradigm for this study. With the phenomenon of ‘linguistic dispersion’ we can explain the development of language as undirected, but with linguistic consistency across the borders of language families. We proof that the Semitic and Indo-European languages are related. As a consequence, the strict differentiation between the Semitic and the Indo-European language families is outdated following the research positions of Starostin. In contrast to this, we propose a theory of cultural exchange between the two language families.

Cuvinte-cheie: trăsături, concept, arie, limbaj, retorică, persuasiune, dispersie glotică

REZUMAT

În articol, aplicăm o metodă de demonstrare a consecvenţei conceptuale pe o perioadă istorică lungă, luând ca exemplu retorica și persuasiunea. Analizăm trăsăturile evidente ale acestui concept în trei arii glotice: limbile indo-europene, limbile semitice şi limbile afro-asiatice. Am ales cazul conceptului „retorică” / „persuasiune” ca paradigmă pentru acest studiu. Prin intermediul fenomenului de „dispersie glotică” explicăm dezvoltarea limbajului ca un proces nedirecţionat, dar cu impact peste graniţele familiilor de limbi. Demonstrăm că limbile semitice şi cele indo-europene sunt înrudite, ceea ce face inexistentă diferenţierea strictă dintre ele, după Starostin. În acest context, abordăm teoria schimbului cultural dintre cele două familii de limbi.

LANGUAGES OF PUBLICATION

English (main text); Ancient Egyptian, Proto-Afro-Asiatic, (Proto-) Indo-European, Sanskrit, Dravidian, Borean, (Old) Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Indo-Iranian, Altaic, Arabic, Contemporary Arabic, Avestan, Western/Central Chadic, Dene–Daic, Slavic, Polish, Prussian, Lithuanian, Briton, English, Albanian, and Kartvelian (corpus)

UDC: 811.1’362:811.411’362

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Received: February 2, 2015 | Reviewed: February 14, 2015 | Accepted for publication: February 26, 2015

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