Theo Vennemann

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Theo Vennemann genannt Nierfeld (May 27, 1937 - ) is a German linguist known best for his work on historical linguistics, especially for his disputed theories of a Vasconic substratum and an Atlantic superstratum of European languages. He also suggested that the High German consonant shift was already completed in the early 1st century BC, and not in the 9th century AD as most experts believe.

[edit] Theories on the prehistory of European languages

Vennemann's controversial claims about the prehistory of European languages include the following:

Vasconic, a hypothetical ancestor language of Basque, is a substratum of European languages, especially Germanic, Celtic, and Italic. This is evidenced by various loan words, toponyms, and structural features such as word-initial accent.

The so-called Old European hydronymy, traditionally considered as Indo-European, is classified as Vasconic by Vennemann.

Numerous toponyms that are traditionally considered as Indo-European by virtue of their Indo-European head words are considered Vasconic names that have been adapted to Indo-European languages through the addition of the suffix.

Punic, the Semitic language spoken in classical Carthage, is a superstratum of the Germanic languages. According to Vennemann, Carthaginians colonized the North Sea region between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC; this is evidenced by numerous Semitic loan words in the Germanic languages, as well as structural features such as strong verbs, and similarities between Norse religion and Semitic religion. This theory replaces his older theory of a superstratum of an unknown Semitic language called "Atlantic".

Punic is a substratum of the Celtic languages, as shown by certain structural features of Celtic.

The Runic alphabet is derived directly from the Phoenician alphabet used by the Carthaginians, without intervention by the Greek alphabet.

The Germanic sound shift is dated to the 6th to 3rd centuries BC, as evidenced by the fact that some presumed Punic loan words participated in it, while others did not.