Takács Gábor. Development of Afro-Asiatic Comparative-historical Linguistics in Russia and the Former Soviet Union

Muenchen: Lincom Europa, 1999. — 219 p. — (LINCOM studies in Afroasiatic linguistics). — ISBN-10 3895865915; ISBN-13 978-3895865916.This study gives the first science history and a detailed and extensive scientific appraisal of the works by the Russian school (or "Moscow school") of Afro-Asiatic (Semito-Hamitic) comparative-historical linguistics in the past three decades.The book contains the following parts:A general overview of roots of Afro-Asiatic linguistics in Russia before 1965;A concise survey of development of Afro-Asiatic studies from 1965 in Russia;A most detailed presentation and critical appraisal of works by the Russian comparativists on the reconstruction of Afro-Asiatic comparative phonology and lexicon in the light of research results of other ("Western") scholars (incl. author's own observations);A concise description of the so-called "Nostratic theory" and introduction of the "Moscow school of comparative linguistics" in the latest three decades;The work ends with a comprehensive bibliography of all cited works. This is at the same time the first bibliography that includes all Russian works on Afro-Asiatic linguistics from 1965.