THE TRIPLE SYSTEM OF DEIXIS IN SOGDIAN

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper demonstrates the existence in Sogdian, a Middle Iranian language belonging to the Eastern Iranian sub‐group, of ‘second person’ demonstratives based on the stems š‐and t‐, sometimes represented by the Aramaic ideograms 'LH and 'LK. It is argued that Sogdian š‐and t‐, like the Khotanese demonstratives based on the suppletive stems sa‐and tta‐, derive from Old Iranian aiša‐and ta‐, which were combined into a suppletive system by contamination of aiša‐/aita‐‘this’ and the neutral demonstrative ha‐/ta‐. The triple system of deixis attested by Sogdian y‐/m‐‘hic’, š‐/t‐‘iste’, and x‐/w‐‘ille’ survives in some modern East Iranian languages, which employ stems derived from Old Iranian ima‐, aita‐, and awa‐.