From: DEFAYES MICHEL
Message: 6430
Date: 2001-03-07
For concordances between Etruscan and Illyrian, see Z. Mayani, La fin du "myst?re étrusque. Maloine, Paris, 1970 (oh I know what linguists think of this work). However he presents facts, not concordances based on hypothetical PIE roots. I think this work has been translated in English. I believe Georgiev has also proposed some links between the two languages.
One proponent of Illyro-Albanian continuity is Xhevat Lloshi (from the
site
http://www.undp.tirana.al/download/pdf/albanian.pdf
you refered to on March 4), and you can hardly say he is ethnocentric.
Yes it is quite regrettable that some have written in nationalistic style;
they have discredited themselves by doing so. What you're saying is so
true.
Not being an Albanologist, I don't want, and I wouldn't be able, to
uphold a discussion on the origin of Albanian.
(Not directly connected with this message: I'm puzzled by the recent discussions of the group refering to hyll as "sun". All dictionaries define hyll as "star").
Piotr Gasiorowski a écrit:
Dear Michel, The "normal methods" are "normal", i.e. widely accepted, not without reason. I don't aspire to having followers or disciples (except for my students who show their willingness to "follow" me if they choose my seminars), and I really appreciate intellectual courage, pioneership and nonconformism. But one thing is worth keeping in mind. Before you go against the current it's a good thing if you understand what you oppose and what makes the current flow. If you insist, against the opinion of the Astrophysical Establishment, that the moon is empty inside, and refuse to understand why such a view is untenable, are you courageous or merely ignorant? I don't claim that anyone who proposes Illyro-Albanian continuity is a chauvinist. But I suppose you are aware that this belief is often professed in a highly ethnocentric, not to say fanatical, style. This is regrettable, since such an attitude gives people the impression that the Illyrian hypothesis (which of course deserves to be seriously considered) is a parochial myth reflecting a national inferiority complex. There would be no such impression if it were argued in a rational way and without open contempt for the ordinary methods of historical linguistics (and, fortunately, it is so argued by many, including a number of respectable Albanian scholars, who also admit that other views are possible and are not held exclusively by the enemies of Albania). Please substantiate your claim that those "evident concordances" between Albanian and Etruscan have been demonstrated "black on white", and let the list evaluate the evidence for themselves. If anyone's interested in reopening a serious discussion on the linguistic position of Albanian, I'm game as usual. Just in case anyone suspects my intentions, I have the deepest respect for Albania, Albanian and Albanians, and I agree with Eric Hamp that Albanian studies deserve much more attention that they get from most IEists. I do dislike chauvinist attitudes no matter if they're Albanian, Polish or Ruritanian. What else can I say? Piotr----- Original Message -----From: DEFAYES MICHELSent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 7:45 PMSubject: Re: [tied] Re: Albanian connectionAlvin, you are showing much courage in trying to go countercurrent, in "refusing to obey" and to argue against "the normal methods of historical linguistics" which is the present day method of the linguistic Establishment to which Piotr and his followers adhere. Some authors have shown black on white the evident concordances between Albanian and Etruscan. But the credo of the followers of the "normal method" is that the Illyro-Albanian continuity is but a purely imaginative and chauvinistic belief professed by Albanians.
Michel
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