Ebook: Phoneme and morpheme in Kabardian (Eastern Adyghe)

Hague: Mouton & Co. Printers, 1960. — 124 p. Janua Linguarum. Studia Memoriae Nicolai Van Wijk dedicata. Nr. VIII.The present study is an enlarged version of my doctoral dissertation. It aims at defining and characterizing the phonemic and the morphemic units of the Kabardian language. The course of the discussion is determined by these two points. Where necessary, other subjects are broached (structure of the word as a whole, morphophonemics, immediate constituents, case system, etc.), but the treatment of the latter is neither systematic nor complete: only such information is given as is required, in each particular instance, in connection with the main argument. The theory developed here differs both from Trubetzkoy's and from Yakovlev's, though on all controversial points it is in closer agreement with the latter than with the former: it may be regarded as a superstructure based on the foundations laid in Yakovlev's works. It is only natural that in the following pages those points should be emphasized where I differ in opinion from this scholar to whom Circassian linguistics is so much indebted. The contents of this book are based, in addition, on extensive data obtained from native informants during the years 1949-50 and 1955-57.
During the first of these periods my main source of information was Mrs. Lila Chejokoff-Altadoukoff, born at Altadokokhable (aul Kudenetovskoye, near Nal'chik). The contact-language was Russian. My greatest obligations are due to Mrs. Chejokoff for her untiring assistance.