Linguistic Evidence Across the Bering Strait (Open Linguistics)

The arrival of speakers of languages related to Eskimo-Aleut, with deep genetic roots in Siberia, on the shores of Alaska is the focus of this book. It delves into a range of issues in contemporary historical linguistics and archaeology. The Arctic "gateway" to the New World, acting as a bottleneck, has allowed only small groups of mobile hunter-gatherers to pass through during specific favourable periods, providing a unique testing ground for theories about population and language movements in pre-agricultural times.

Given the historically attested prevalence of language shifts and other contact phenomena in the region, it is arguable that the spread of genes and the spread of language have been out of step since the earliest reconstructable times, contrary to certain views of their linkage. The book follows up on proposals made in the past concerning the affiliations of Eskimo-Aleut languages, in light of recent progress in reconstructing the proto-languages involved.

The linking of Eskimo-Aleut with the Uralic languages and Yukagir is particularly promising, and reconstructions for many common elements are presented. The entire "Great Beringia" region is examined for typological evidence in the form of anomalies and constellations of uncommon traits that may be diagnostic of affiliation or contact.

The various threads lead back to Mesolithic times in south-central Siberia, when speakers of a "Uralo-Siberian" mesh of related languages appear to have moved along the major waterways of Siberia. Such a scenario would account for the present distribution of these languages and the results of their meeting with remnants of earlier linguistic waves from the Old World to the New.

The Arctic "gateway" has played a crucial role in this process, acting as a bottleneck that has allowed only small groups of mobile hunter-gatherers to pass through during specific favourable periods. This has provided a unique testing ground for theories about population and language movements in pre-agricultural times.

The book delves into the complex relationships between the spread of genes and the spread of language, challenging certain views that have linked them more closely. The prevalence of language shifts and other contact phenomena in the region suggests that these processes have been out of step since the earliest reconstructable times.

The book's examination of the affiliations of Eskimo-Aleut languages, in light of recent progress in reconstructing the proto-languages involved, is particularly promising. The linking of Eskimo-Aleut with the Uralic languages and Yukagir, and the reconstructions of many common elements, provide valuable insights into the region's linguistic history.

The exploration of the "Great Beringia" region for typological evidence, in the form of anomalies and constellations of uncommon traits, further contributes to the understanding of the complex interactions and affiliations within this linguistic landscape.

Ultimately, the book's scenario, tracing the movements of speakers of a "Uralo-Siberian" mesh of related languages along the major waterways of Siberia during Mesolithic times, offers a compelling explanation for the present distribution of these languages and the results of their interactions with earlier linguistic waves from the Old World to the New.

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