From: Mate Kapovic
Message: 30312
Date: 2004-01-29
----- Original Message -----
From: "alexandru_mg3" <alexandru_mg3@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 8:00 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Estimated timeframe from albanian s->sh transformation
> Hello Piotr,
>
> " but an innovation like the one we're discussing is likely to take
> decades rather than centuries. "
>
> Sorry again, but I find above just another afirmation with no
> arguments after it. Is there an issue to put the arguments after any
> afirmation like this?
There have been cases recorded. There was a case of a Swiss village changing
/l^/ to /j/ in about 20 years or so or something like that. It is often
cited in sociolinguistic literature but I can't remember the name at the
moment. Or the case of /l/ (hard /l/) to /w/ in Polish. Piotr can say more.
But as I hear, it was also done in a generation or two. Now only old people
say /l/ and when they are dead the change will be finnished (in most
dialects).
Mate
Mate