A brief comparison of Mehri and Jibbali

Abstract

The exact relationship among the Modern South Arabian (MSA) languages has not been conclusively determined, in part because of the lack of data on some of the languages. This comparison of the two best-described languages, Mehri and Jibbali, can serve as a preliminary model for a more comprehensive study of the family. Despite a large number of similarities, Mehri and Jibbali show many interesting differences in phonology, morphology, and syntax. Some of these differences, if shown to be innovations, can serve in the internal classification of the languages, while others are purely of interest from the perspective of language change. Similarities between the languages aid in the reconstruction of Proto-MSA, a step that is necessary in order to determine the proper place of MSA within the greater Semitic family.