Re: [tied] Reconstructing a future language

----- Original Message -----
From: <tgpedersen@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 10:23 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] Reconstructing a future language



> In some article I just read (I can find it if anyone wants the
> reference) they used an algorithm to compute "distances" between IE
> languages and to cluster them. Invariably, reconstructed PIE ended up
> in the Romance cluster. When they removed the Romance languages, PIE
> ended up in a cluster with Greek. So much for the impartality of PIE
> reconstruction.

So much for the thoughtless application of algorithms. Using a "distance" matrix is hardly a reliable approach to reconstructing a phylogeny.

Piotr