The Dene-Kusunda Hypothesis: A Critical Account

• Main Author: Gerber, Pascal
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Serials Publications 2017
• Subjects: 410 Linguistics; Bering Strait
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7892/boris.107244; https://boris.unibe.ch/107244/

The Dene-Yenisseian hypothesis (Vajda 2010a, 2013) linking the Yenisseian languages and the Na-Dene languages has gained some attention as the first substantial proposal of a linguistic connection across the Bering Strait. At the same time, morphological material has been interpreted as evidence for a genealogical relationship between Yenisseian, Burushaski and Kusunda (van Driem 2001, 2008, 2014). The two hypotheses have been linked under the name ‘Dene-Yenisseian’ by van Driem (2014: 80) but I hereby introduce the term ‘Dene- Kusunda’ to designate the hypothesis of a genealogical relationship between Kusunda, Burushaski, Yenisseian and Na-Dene. This paper aims to review the Dene-Kusunda hypothesis by presenting a critical evaluation of the morphological data amassed as evidence in van Driem (2001, 2008, 2014), Vajda (2010a, 2013) and Gerber (2013). The argumentation in favour of Dene-Kusunda looks promising at first sight, but much of it can be explained by chance or selective analysis. A more definite evaluation of this proposal must await more studious work on the individual languages, but it is in fact likely that the putative time depth inhibits an ultimate verification or falsification.