TRAMES 1, 5, 2001

THE SO-CALLED URALIC ORIGINAL HOME (URHEIMAT) AND THE SO-CALLED PROTO-URALIC

Janos Pusztay

Berzsenyi Daniel College, Hungary

Abstract. The present study, based on current interdisciplinary research, wishes to take a stand concerning the location of the Uralic original home, and the evolution of Proto-Uralic. Contemporary Uralic languages developed in the so-called Northern Eurasian linguistic zone. While this zone displays several common features in terms of typology, language development and phonetic material, we can also recognise some notably distinct blocks within the same zone. Present day Uralic languages evolved from the three most western blocks of the Northern Eurasian linguistic zone, while the eastern block seems to have originally been Paleosiberian, serving as the basis for today's Ugrians, Samoyeds and Mordvins. This linguistics-based presupposition is further supported by genetic, anthropological and archaeological findings.

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