Writing a grammar of Old Turkic has for two main reasons proven a
quite formidable task. The first reason is the sheer size of the corpus,
which has, during the last decade, kept growing at a breathtaking pace.
At present, none of the three most voluminous sources, the
Suvarnaprabhsa, the Maitrisimit and the Daakarmapathvadnaml
has as yet been edited in a way integrating all available manuscripts.
Especially the DKPAM, with its lively narrative containing so many
specimens of direct speech, will no doubt further contribute to our
knowledge of the language. As it is, I was not even able to work myself
through all the extant published material so that, in principle, surprises
in any section of the grammar are still possible. The only thing I can
say is that such surprises have come less and less often during the last
months.
Another reason why this task has proven to be a formidable one is the
number of articles which appeared over the years on various
phonological and morphological matters relevant for the questions
which I have tried to answer. Although I have unfortunately been able
to take this literature into account only to a limited extent, many will
feel that I have indulged too much in argumentation with colleagues,
thus giving various passages the air of papers in a journal. The fact is
that I have, in many sections, felt the need not only to state my views
but also to justify them as against competing opinions. This motive may
sometimes also have led to an overaccumulation of examples, making
reading difficult. However, those wishing to continue research into
various topics will, I think, be thankful for a wealth of material which
will, hopefully, help them reach their own judgements.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder