Re: Proper methodology (was: RE: [tied] Re: Mother of all IE langua

At 5:51:42 AM on Thursday, December 11, 2003, tgpedersen wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Miguel Carrasquer
> <mcv@...> wrote:

[...]

>> http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~nrwan/201hws.html

>> The first generation of students at the school did not
>> have a full language, but rather a pidgin consisting of
>> home signs. The second generation of students, however,
>> turned the pidgin into a creole. The original home signs
>> and gestures used by the first generation had contained a
>> great deal of pointing, actions, and repetition. NSL, on
>> the other hand, is much more refined and complex. It
>> contains ways to sign verbs in configuration, serial
>> verbs with complex morphology, and first, second, and
>> third person pronouns.

> 1) I don't think that text is very clear on the subject of
> pronouns. The occurrence of 'pronouns' in the last
> sentence could be read as referring to the modified verbs
> the previous reference describes (since the context seems
> to be 'verbs').

Only if you assume that the writer didn't know how to use
commas correctly. If the pronouns were actually associated
with the verbs, it would have to be

serial verbs with complex morphology and first, second,
and third person pronouns.

As written the sentence says that NSL contains three things:

* ways to sign verbs in configuration;
* serial verbs with complex morphologh; and
* first, second, and third person pronouns.

Brian