Corpus of Soqotri Oral Literature: Volume 1

by Vitaly Naumkin, Leonid Kogan, Dmitry Cherkashin

For the first time after D. H. Müller's pioneering studies of the 1900s, a large body of folklore texts in Soqotri becomes available to the Semitological scholarship. The language is spoken by ca. 100.000 people inhabiting the island Soqotra (Gulf of Aden, Yemen). Soqotri is among the most archaic Semitic languages spoken today, whereas the oral literature of the islanders is a mine of deeply original motifs and plots. Texts appear in transcription, English and Arabic translations, and an Arabic-based native script. Philological annotations deal with grammatical, lexical and literary features, as well as realia. The Glossary accumulates all words attested in the volume. The Plates provide a glimpse into the fascinating landscapes of the island and the traditional lifestyle of its inhabitants.

768 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2014

About the author

Professor, Dr. of Science, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is the Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Chair at the Faculty of World Politics, Moscow State University. He is also Editor-in-Chief, “Vostok-ORIENS” Journal of the RAS and President, Center for Strategic and Political Studies. He speaks English, Arabic and French