In:
Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales, Cambridge University Press (CUP), Vol. 58, No. 4 ( 2003-08), p. 779-813
Abstract:
Since the discovery that a number of languages, which are now called Indo-European, go back to a common ancestor, the so-called Pre-Indo-European, archaeologists, historians and, regrettably, also ideologists are doing their best to locate the country where this Pre-Indo-European was spoken and the many routes followed by the speakers of this language when they left it. During the last thirty years, great progress was made in the field of Indo-Iranian studies (Indo-Iranian languages are now the main languages in Iran, Central Asia and a great part of the Indian subcontinent). New (and therefore controversial) studies of the oldest Iranian scripture, the Avestan Gathas, have thrown new light on this text. During excavations in Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, new civilizations were discovered, whose links with the Indo-Iranians are much discussed. This paper is an attempt at evaluating the many hypotheses brought forth in the light of the basic principles of historical linguistics and historical reasoning. The vast majority of these hypotheses starts from the postulate that Indo-Iranian peoples moved from a previous location in Southern Russia towards Northern India. This is also the firm belief of the author of this paper who nevertheless cannot disregard the fact that it is indeed a postulate. Part of the Hindu intelligentsia refuses to abide by it. Many in India support the idea that India is the place where Pre-Indo-European, i-e for them Sanskrit, was spoken first. The Indo-European languages, according to them, result from waves of emigration similar to the Romani migrations, unanimously acknowledged as starting from India. This theory has motivations which are openly religious and nationalistic. Its political consequences are dangerous. For the time being, it is not backed by high level scholarly productions. But it reminds us that the European origin of the Indo-European languages is not an ascertained fact and still needs to be proved.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0395-2649
,
1953-8146
DOI:
10.1017/S0395264900005060
Language:
English
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publication Date:
2003
detail.hit.zdb_id:
298-7
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2209294-8
SSG:
8,2
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