Re: About methodology...

Glen in reply to my Wiru example wrote

> Based on your numerical figures (and I won't ask how they were

arrived at),

> it would seem that it is primarily West-Central Highlands. I have

trouble

> believing that any language is so mixed up that there are _equal_
> connections between two groups. That scenario is very unlikely.

Not at all. When one looks at family kinship networks and migration
patterns one sees that the Wiru area is equally linked to the
Imbonggu (Medlpa) group around Ialibu and to the Kewa (West-Central)
group around Kagua. With movements into the Wiru area being of equal
provinance, it is hardly surpirisng that there is such an admixture.

In reply to my

> >I suspect there are a lot of languages in such a situation. I know
> >it is certainly true of Latin America where comparitive linguists

are

> >having huge difficulties in sorting out whether a language is Macro
> >Ge, Andean-Equatorial or Macro-Carib.

Glen wrote

> Yes, but then I don't think that this is as studied as the European
> languages so no wonder they're having problems. I'm surprised

anyone could

> find enough resources on these tongues to study them :)

Aha. The Summer Institute of Linguistics and Wycliffe Bible
Translaters were the first. Nowadays the University of Papua New
Guinea has a fine Linguistics school and there are a number of Wiru
graduates studying their own language. PNG with its linuistic
diversity is a linguists paradise. :-)

Thanks Glen for your comment on Japanese.

Regards

John